In a hierarchical stage account of vision, figure-ground assignment is thought to be completed before the operation of focal spatial attention. Previous results support this account by showing that unpredictive, exogenous spatial precues do not influence figure-ground assignment, although voluntary attention can influence figure-ground assignment. However, in these previous studies, attention was not summoned directly to a region in a figure-ground display.

In a set of recent experiments, we have demonstrated that exogenous (automatic) spatial attention can influence figure-ground assignment. In Experiment 1, we replicated the finding that exogenous precues do not influence figure-ground assignment when they direct attention outside of a figure-ground stimulus. In Experiment 2, we demonstrated that exogenous attention can influence figure-ground assignment if it is directed to one of the regions in a figure-ground stimulus. In Experiment 3, we demonstrated that exogenous attention can influence figure-ground assignment in displays that contain a gestalt figure-ground cue, suggesting that figure-ground processes are not entirely completed prior to the operation of focal spatial attention. Exogenous spatial attention acts as a cue for figure-ground assignment and can affect the outcome of figure-ground processes.