Visual distractions as a key factor during visual search Because of our limited attentional capacity (Desimone & Duncan, 1995), searching for relevant information frequently induces attentional competition between relevant and distracting information. Handling with visual distractors plays a key role during effective visual search and depends, at least in part, on the target and distractors attributes (e.g., Duncan & Humphreys, 1989). Ignoring visual distractors is critical to ensure optimal working memory performance through lifespan (e.g., Zanto & Gazzaley, 2009).