David A. Tomshe¹ (dtomsh1@lsu.edu), Jason Scimeca¹, Melissa R. Beck¹; ¹Louisiana State University

Contextual cueing occurs when memory of the spatial context for repeated search displays improves visual search times. However, it is unclear how contextual cueing influences the cognitive processes involved in early (attentional guidance) and late (target identification) stages of visual search. To better characterize the effects on these latent cognitive processes, we applied hierarchical drift diffusion modeling (HDDM) to accuracy and response time data from three experiments. Experiments 1 and 2 consisted of a typical T among L array embedded over scene backgrounds. Both distractor locations and the repeated background scene served as context for the target location. In Experiment 3, participants searched for a symbol within aeronautical maps with varying levels of visual clutter while undergoing eye-tracking. In Experiments 1 and 2, initial results favored a model in which the decision threshold for making a response, but not the rate of accumulate evidence towards the decision, differed between repeated versus non-repeated displays. In Experiment 3, the results reveal a critical distinction between the early and late stage of visual search: contextual cuing effects were linked to changes in decision threshold during late stages and were linked to evidence accumulation during early stages. This finding extends prior work to explore the underlying processes of contextual cuing. By combining eye-tracking and behavioral modeling, we find evidence that contextual cuing facilitates performance by influencing distinct processes engaged during early versus late stages of search.