Final answer:
In Treisman's theory, an object's features are analyzed during the preattentive stage, which is an automatic and rapid process that occurs before focused attention is applied.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Treisman's theory, an object is analyzed into its features during the preattentive stage. The preattentive process is an unconscious phase of perception where features of objects—such as color, shape, size, and orientation—are analyzed without the need for focused attention. This contrasts with top-down processing, where cognition is primarily guided by pre-existing knowledge and expectations.
To elaborate further, during the preattentive stage, information is processed in parallel, quickly, and automatically, leading to a sort of 'initial sketch' of the sensory environment. After this stage, the focused attention stage takes over, and the individual features are combined and processed in a more conscious, serial manner, which leads to the perception of whole objects.