ABSTRACT
In naming one of several objects in a visual scene or in reading aloud one of several words in a text, a speaker has to perform a number of interrelated attentional tasks. The first major task is to select one particular object or word for further processing. This usually involves moving the gaze to the spatial location of the relevant object or word. Objects and words are multidimensional entities. For example, they usually have a colour and shape, and they consist of several parts (i.e., written words are made up of letters). The second major task is therefore to select the action-relevant dimension, such as the shape of the objects and words rather than their colour. For words, responding to the shape rather than their colour is the default. Finally, if the objects and words are spatially close together, the speaker has to plan and execute the appropriate action in the face of distraction by the other objects and words. This constitutes the third major task.
