Contextual learning of multiple target locations in visual search

In visual search, detection of a target is faster when a layout of nontarget items is repeatedly encountered, suggesting that contextual invariances can guide attention. Moreover, contextual cueing can also adapt to environmental changes. For instance, when the target undergoes a predictable (i.e., learnable) location change, then contextual cueing remains effective even after the change, suggesting that a learned context is "remapped" and adjusted to novel requirements. Here, we explored the stability of contextual remapping: Four experiments demonstrated that target location changes are only effectively remapped when both the initial and the future target positions remain predictable across the entire experiment. Otherwise, contextual remapping fails. In sum, this pattern of results suggests that multiple, predictable target locations can be associated with a given repeated context, allowing the flexible adaptation of previously learned contingencies to novel task demands.