Cued Suppression and Learned Suppression Rely on Separate Mechanisms

In recent years, two forms of attentional suppression have been identified. In cued suppression, participants avoid certain distractor features which are cued on each trial. In learned suppression, participants gradually learn to ignore bottom-up features, which would normally capture attention, through repeated exposure. Although both types of suppression are well established, it is not clear if both types of suppression rely on the same underlying mechanisms. To address this question, we examined correlations (N=54) between cued suppression and learned suppression, as well as WM capacity and a real-world inattentive trait questionnaire. If cued and learned suppression rely on similar mechanisms, we expect correlated amounts of suppression across individuals. Instead, we found that cued and learned suppression were not correlated. Cued suppression was correlated with WM capacity, in line with the idea that these tasks relied on cognitive control. Learned suppression was correlated with the real-world inattentive trait questionnaire, suggesting that reductions in learning to suppress may create distractibility both inside and outside the lab. These results suggest that cued and learned suppression are separable forms of attentional guidance, not two ways of activating the same suppression mechanism.