Generating models of attentional cueing and inhibition of return with genetic programming

The cueing task is a robust experimental paradigm for investigating attention. A centrally presented valid cue, correctly indicating the location of an upcoming target stimulus, leads to quicker responses than an invalid cue. A feature of this paradigm is that increasing the delay between a peripheral cue and a target reverses this effect, where responses become slower for a valid cue, a phenomenon termed inhibition of return (IOR). Using GEMS, a system that utilises genetic programming techniques, we generated potential strategies underlying the facilitation and IOR effects in the cueing paradigm. Models were generated for three experiments differing in their experimental designs, all with good fit to behavioural data. Our approach helps address current issues in the field of attention regarding how it is defined and what mechanisms underlie it. Additional benefits and limitations of this method are discussed.