Searching for inhibition of return in visual search: a review

Abstract

Studies that followed the covert and overt probe-following-search paradigms of Klein (1988) and Klein and MacInnes (1999) to explore inhibition of return (IOR) in search are analyzed and evaluated. An IOR effect is consistently observed when the search display (or scene) remains visible when probing and lasts for at least 1000ms or about four previous inspected items (or locations). These findings support the idea that IOR facilitates foraging by discouraging orienting toward previously examined regions and items. Methodological and conceptual issues are discussed leading to methodological recommendations and suggestions for experimentation.