Abstract: Two experiments were conducted using cue-target method and location-based choice task. College students were tested. The repetition times of cueing and target orientation were manipulated to explore the effect of attention on Inhibition of Return(IOR). Experiment 1 employed consecutive cueing, the results showed that the effect of repetition of cueing on IOR was only manifested with volitional orientation targets: the value of IOR in the condition of cueing three times was more than those in the condition of cueing once and twice, but not with reflexive orientation targets. Experiment 2 employed cross cueing and found that the effect of repetition of cueing on IOR was reversed . Two experiments both showed that not only attention during cueing phase but also attention during target processing phase had significant effect on IOR , and their effect depended on each other. The results suggested that attention plays an important role in the origin of IOR.

Key words: selective attention, inhibition of return, repetition of cueing, target orientation