scholarly journals Action affects perception through modulation of attention

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wladimir Kirsch ◽  
Tim Kitzmann ◽  
Wilfried Kunde
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Target Stimulus ◽  
Action Planning ◽  
Stimulus Size ◽  
Target Size ◽  
Distributed Attention ◽  
Circular Target ◽  
Perceptual Changes ◽  
Specific Influence

AbstractThe present study explored the origin of perceptual changes repeatedly observed in the context of actions. In Experiment 1, participants tried to hit a circular target with a stylus movement under restricted feedback conditions. We measured the perception of target size during action planning and observed larger estimates for larger movement distances. In Experiment 2, we then tested the hypothesis that this action specific influence on perception is due to changes in the allocation of spatial attention. For this purpose, we replaced the hitting task by conditions of focused and distributed attention and measured the perception of the former target stimulus. The results revealed changes in the perceived stimulus size very similar to those observed in Experiment 1. These results indicate that action’s effects on perception root in changes of spatial attention.

scholarly journals How do (perceptual) distracters distract?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsvetomira Dumbalska ◽  
Katarzyna Rudzka ◽  
Hannah Smithston ◽  
Christopher Summerfield
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Target Stimulus ◽  
Computational Modelling ◽  
Interaction Model ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Reverse Correlation ◽  
Target Interaction ◽  
Independent Model

When a target stimulus occurs in the presence of distracters, decisions are less sensitive. But how exactly do distracters affect choices? Here, we explored this question using measurement of human behaviour, psychophysical reverse correlation and computational modelling. We contrasted two models: one in which targets and distracters had independent influence on choices (independent model) and one in which distracters modulated choices in a way that depended on their similarity to the target (interaction model). Across three experiments, participants were asked to make fine orientation judgments about the tilt of a target grating presented adjacent to an irrelevant distracter. Surprisingly, we found strong evidence for the interaction model, in that decisions were more sensitive when target and distracter were consistent relative to when they were inconsistent. This consistency bias occurred in the frame of reference of the decision, that is, it operated on decision values rather than on sensory signals. Further, it was independent of spatial attention. A normalization framework, where target features are normalized by the expectation and variability of the local context, successfully captures the observed pattern of results.

Reaction Time as a Function of Peripheral Retinal Locus around Fovea: Effect of Stimulus Size

1976 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 603-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoyuki Osaka
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Stimulus Size ◽  
Target Size ◽  
Retinal Locus ◽  
Visual Reaction

Using targets of four sizes between 18' and 116' at a fixed luminance of 5.8 cd/m2, human visual reaction times (RT) were measured on a circle at 30° eccentric to the fovea. A foveal and 12 peripheral retinal loci were explored, covering the range between 0° and 330° in steps of 30° units on a circle about the fovea. RT decreased significantly by the stimulation to the quadrant retinal loci between nasal and superior side. RT decreased as a function of increasing target size and the amount of decrement was relatively larger in the periphery than in the fovea.

Stimulus- and state-dependence of systematic bias in spatial attention: Additive effects of stimulus-size and time-on-task

Cortex ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 827-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher S.Y. Benwell ◽  
Monika Harvey ◽  
Stephanie Gardner ◽  
Gregor Thut
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Attention ◽  
State Dependence ◽  
Stimulus Size ◽  
Time On Task ◽  
Systematic Bias ◽  
Additive Effects

scholarly journals The interaction of orientation-specific surround suppression and visual-spatial attention

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel Rokem ◽  
Ayelet Nina Landau
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Just Noticeable Difference ◽  
Perceptual Sensitivity ◽  
Surround Suppression ◽  
Voluntary Attention ◽  
Visual Spatial Attention ◽  
Distributed Attention ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Visual Tasks ◽  
Contrast Discrimination

AbstractOrientation selective surround suppression (OSSS) is a reduction in the perceived contrast of a stimulus, which occurs when a collinear grating is placed adjacent to the stimulus. Attention affects performance on many visual tasks, and we asked whether the perceptual effects of OSSS are mitigated through the allocation of voluntary visual-spatial attention. Participants were tested in a contrast discrimination task: at the beginning of each trial, one location on the screen was cued and a subsequent contrast judgment was then more likely (70%) to be performed in that location. Replicating previous results, we found that the point of subjective equality (PSE) was elevated for a collinear, relative to an orthogonal, surround. While the PSE was similar for validly and invalidly cued trials, the just noticeable difference (JND) was larger for invalid cue trials, and for collinear, relative to orthogonal surround, suggesting that while OSSS affects both perceived contrast and sensitivity, voluntary attention affects only perceptual sensitivity. In another experiment no informative cue was provided, and attention was distributed over the entire display. In this case, JND and PSE were shifted depending on the contrast of the distractor, suggesting that OSSS is affected by the allocation of visual-spatial attention, but only under conditions of distributed attention.

Some Recent Results in Quiescent Prominence Spectrometry

1979 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 41-47
Author(s):  
Donald A. Landman
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Computer System ◽  
Spectral Response ◽  
Absolute Intensity ◽  
Solar Observatory ◽  
Target Size ◽  
Small Target ◽  
Signal Averaging ◽  
Quiescent Prominence

This paper describes some recent results of our quiescent prominence spectrometry program at the Mees Solar Observatory on Haleakala. The observations were made with the 25 cm coronagraph/coudé spectrograph system using a silicon vidicon detector. This detector consists of 500 contiguous channels covering approximately 6 or 80 Å, depending on the grating used. The instrument is interfaced to the Observatory’s PDP 11/45 computer system, and has the important advantages of wide spectral response, linearity and signal-averaging with real-time display. Its principal drawback is the relatively small target size. For the present work, the aperture was about 3″ × 5″. Absolute intensity calibrations were made by measuring quiet regions near sun center.

Visual Spatial Attention in Migraine Sufferers in Postictal and Interictal Phases: An Event-Related Potential Study

2001 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.H. de Koning ◽  
J.C. Woestenburg ◽  
M. Elton
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Migraine Attack ◽  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Significant Enhancement ◽  
Pathophysiological Mechanism ◽  
Attention Task ◽  
Visual Spatial Attention ◽  
Visual Spatial

Migraineurs with and without aura (MWAs and MWOAs) as well as controls were measured twice with an interval of 7 days. The first session of recordings and tests for migraineurs was held about 7 hours after a migraine attack. We hypothesized that electrophysiological changes in the posterior cerebral cortex related to visual spatial attention are influenced by the level of arousal in migraineurs with aura, and that this varies over the course of time. ERPs related to the active visual attention task manifested significant differences between controls and both types of migraine sufferers for the N200, suggesting a common pathophysiological mechanism for migraineurs. Furthermore, migraineurs without aura (MWOAs) showed a significant enhancement for the N200 at the second session, indicating the relevance of time of measurement within migraine studies. Finally, migraineurs with aura (MWAs) showed significantly enhanced P240 and P300 components at central and parietal cortical sites compared to MWOAs and controls, which seemed to be maintained over both sessions and could be indicative of increased noradrenergic activity in MWAs.

Phasic Alertness and the Residual Task-Switching Cost

2005 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nachshon Meiran ◽  
Ziv Chorev
Keyword(s):  
Task Switching ◽  
Target Stimulus ◽  
Switching Cost ◽  
Optimal Interval ◽  
Phasic Alertness ◽  
Goal Representation

Abstract. Participants switched between two randomly ordered discrimination tasks and each trial began with the presentation of a task cue instructing which task to execute. The authors induced phasic alertness by presenting a salient uninformative stimulus after the task cue was provided, and at variable intervals before the target stimulus was presented (Experiments 1-3) or before the task cue (Experiment 4). When the alerting stimulus preceded the target stimulus or the task cue by an optimal interval, RT was faster, indicating an alert state and the task-switching cost was reduced. These results support the suggestion of De Jong (Acta Psychologica, 1999 ) that alertness improves the overcoming of retrieval competition through improved goal representation, but also show that the effect is specific to the residual task-switching cost.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document