1
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Chen S, Töllner T, Müller HJ, Conci M. ERPs and alpha oscillations track the encoding and maintenance of object-based representations in visual working memory. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14557. [PMID: 38459638 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
When memorizing an integrated object such as a Kanizsa figure, the completion of parts into a coherent whole is attained by grouping processes which render a whole-object representation in visual working memory (VWM). The present study measured event-related potentials (ERPs) and oscillatory amplitudes to track these processes of encoding and representing multiple features of an object in VWM. To this end, a change detection task was performed, which required observers to memorize both the orientations and colors of six "pacman" items while inducing configurations of the pacmen that systematically varied in terms of their grouping strength. The results revealed an effect of object configuration in VWM despite physically constant visual input: change detection for both orientation and color features was more accurate with increased grouping strength. At the electrophysiological level, the lateralized ERPs and alpha activity mirrored this behavioral pattern. Perception of the orientation features gave rise to the encoding of a grouped object as reflected by the amplitudes of the Ppc. The grouped object structure, in turn, modulated attention to both orientation and color features as indicated by the enhanced N1pc and N2pc. Finally, during item retention, the representation of individual objects and the concurrent allocation of attention to these memorized objects were modulated by grouping, as reflected by variations in the CDA amplitude and a concurrent lateralized alpha suppression, respectively. These results indicate that memorizing multiple features of grouped, to-be-integrated objects involves multiple, sequential stages of processing, providing support for a hierarchical model of object representations in VWM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyi Chen
- Allgemeine und Experimentelle Psychologie, Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Töllner
- Allgemeine und Experimentelle Psychologie, Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Hermann J Müller
- Allgemeine und Experimentelle Psychologie, Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Conci
- Allgemeine und Experimentelle Psychologie, Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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2
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Nowack L, Müller HJ, Conci M. Changes in attentional breadth scale with the demands of Kanizsa-figure object completion-evidence from pupillometry. Atten Percept Psychophys 2024; 86:439-456. [PMID: 37407797 PMCID: PMC10805936 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02750-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
The present study investigated whether the integration of separate parts into a whole-object representation varies with the amount of available attentional resources. To this end, two experiments were performed, which required observers to maintain central fixation while searching in peripheral vision for a target among various distractor configurations. The target could either be a "grouped" whole-object Kanizsa figure, or an "ungrouped" configuration of identical figural parts, but which do not support object completion processes to the same extent. In the experiments, accuracies and changes in pupil size were assessed, with the latter reflecting a marker of the covert allocation of attention in the periphery. Experiment 1 revealed a performance benefit for grouped (relative to ungrouped) targets, which increased with decreasing distance from fixation. By contrast, search for ungrouped targets was comparably poor in accuracy without revealing any eccentricity-dependent variation. Moreover, measures of pupillary dilation mirrored this eccentricity-dependent advantage in localizing grouped targets. Next, in Experiment 2, an additional attention-demanding foveal task was introduced in order to further reduce the availability of attentional resources for the peripheral detection task. This additional task hampered performance overall, alongside with corresponding pupil size changes. However, there was still a substantial benefit for grouped over ungrouped targets in both the behavioral and the pupillometric data. This shows that perceptual grouping scales with the allocation of attention even when only residual attentional resources are available to trigger the representation of a complete (target) object, thus illustrating that object completion operates in the "near absence" of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Nowack
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstr. 13, D-80802, München, Germany.
| | - Hermann J Müller
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstr. 13, D-80802, München, Germany
| | - Markus Conci
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstr. 13, D-80802, München, Germany
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3
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Testing the effects of perceptual grouping on visual search in older adults. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19231. [PMID: 36357416 PMCID: PMC9649716 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23139-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual search is to find targets while ignoring distractors. Previous studies established that a target is more difficult to identify if aligned collinearly with other items, called the collinear search impairment. Since older adults have lower perceptual grouping ability than younger adults, benefits in visual search may occur for older adults for they may be less distracted by the collinear distractors. Three experiments were carried out to compare 45 younger and 45 older healthy adults. Participants were asked to identify a local target either in the column with items collinearly aligned to each other (the overlapping condition) or in the background (the non-overlapping condition), and the response difference between the two conditions is the collinear search impairment. Results showed that both groups showed reliable search impairment specific to collinear distractor regardless of grouping difficulty and task demands, and the impairment strength increased with the grouping strength of the collinear distractor. Further analysis revealed that the response times of older adults increased in a multiplicative manner to that of younger adults, suggesting that longer response of older adults spread to multiple underlying processing including grouping and suppression of collinear distractors. Together, the results suggest that older adults were still distracted in visual search even when grouping was required on a distractor. Our findings also highlight how general slowing may delay suppression processing in visual search.
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4
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Doucet GE, Hamlin N, Kruse JA, Taylor BK, Poirel N. Link between fluid/crystallized intelligence and global/local visual abilities across adulthood. Conscious Cogn 2022; 106:103429. [PMID: 36306570 PMCID: PMC10481540 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Human visual processing involves the extraction of both global and local information from a visual stimulus. Such processing may be related to cognitive abilities, which is likely going to change over time as we age. We aimed to investigate the impact of healthy aging on the association between visual global vs local processing and intelligence. In this context, we collected behavioral data during a visual search task in 103 adults (50 younger/53 older). We extracted three metrics reflecting global advantage (faster global than local processing), and visual interference in detecting either local or global features (based on interfering visual distractors). We found that older, but not younger, adults with higher levels of fluid and crystallized intelligence showed stronger signs of global advantage and interference effects during local processing, respectively. The present findings also provide promising clues regarding how participants consider and process their visual world in healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaelle E Doucet
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA; Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA.
| | - Noah Hamlin
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Jordanna A Kruse
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Brittany K Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA; Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Nicolas Poirel
- Université Paris Cité, LaPsyDÉ, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France; GIP Cyceron, Caen, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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5
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Perceptual integration modulates dissociable components of experience-driven attention. Psychon Bull Rev 2022:10.3758/s13423-022-02203-z. [DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02203-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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6
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Álvarez-San Millán A, Iglesias J, Gutkin A, Olivares EI. Progressive attenuation of visual global precedence across healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:893818. [PMID: 36204552 PMCID: PMC9530062 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.893818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In the perception of Navon hierarchical stimuli (e.g., large letters made up of small letters), young adults identify large letters faster than small ones (known as 'global advantage') and identify more slowly small letters when they form a different (or incongruent) large letter (known as 'unidirectional global interference'). Since some global/local perceptual alterations might be occurring with aging, we investigated whether these effects vary across healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, the Navon letter task was administered to 26 healthy elderly (HE), 21 adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 26 adults with AD. The same task was administered 1 year later, and different neuropsychological variables were incorporated into the analyses. The cross-sectional study revealed no global advantage but did reveal both global and local interferences in all groups when response times were analyzed. Regarding discrimination sensitivity, HE showed unidirectional global interference, while AD displayed better discrimination of local than global letters in the incongruent condition, which denotes less interference by global distractors than by local ones. The longitudinal study revealed that 1 year later the participants with MCI showed a slowdown in inhibiting local distractors in the global task, revealing a certain bias toward focus in their attention on small stimuli. The elders with AD reflected a generalized slowing of their responses with a clear bias toward local analysis of stimuli, also suggested by their better discrimination in the incongruent local task at the second moment of assessment. Furthermore, all response timing measures in the Navon task were correlated with several neuropsychological indexes of highly sensitive neuropsychological tests, suggesting that performance in this task may also have a potential diagnostic value for differentiating typical from atypical cognitive aging. All these results support the need for a multidomain approach to define neuropsychological markers of progression toward AD, including visual perceptual organization evaluated via measures of performance quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Álvarez-San Millán
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaime Iglesias
- Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anahí Gutkin
- Department of Social Psychology and Methodology, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ela I. Olivares
- Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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7
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Baker KS, Yamamoto N, Pegna AJ, Johnston P. Violated Expectations for Spatial and Feature Attributes of Visual Trajectories Modulate Event-Related Potential Amplitudes across the Visual Processing Hierarchy. Biol Psychol 2022; 174:108422. [PMID: 36038082 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
During visual perception the brain must combine its predictions about what is to be perceived with incoming relevant information. The present study investigated how this process interacts with attention by using event-related potentials that index these cognitive mechanisms. Specifically, this study focused on examining how the amplitudes of the N170, N2pc, and N300 would be modulated by violations of expectations for spatial and featural attributes of visual stimuli. Participants viewed a series of shape stimuli in which a salient shape moved across a set of circular locations so that the trajectory of the shape implied the final position and shape of the stimulus. The final salient stimuli occurred in one of four possible outcomes: predictable position and shape, predictable position but unpredictable shape, unpredictable position but predictable shape, and unpredictable position and shape. The N170 was enhanced by unpredictable positions and shapes, whereas the N300 was enlarged only by unpredictable positions. The N2pc was not modulated by violations of expectation for shapes or positions. Additionally, it was observed post-hoc that the P1pc amplitude was increased by unpredictable shapes. These findings revealed that incorrect prediction increases neural activity. Furthermore, they suggest that prediction and attention interact differently in different stages of visual perception, depending on the type of attention being engaged: The N170 indexes initial prediction error signalling irrespective of the type of information (spatial or featural) in which error occurs, followed by the N300 as a marker of prediction updating involving reorientation of spatial attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen S Baker
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Naohide Yamamoto
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Alan J Pegna
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Experimental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Patrick Johnston
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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8
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The forest, the trees, and the leaves across adulthood: Age-related changes on a visual search task containing three-level hierarchical stimuli. Atten Percept Psychophys 2022; 84:1004-1015. [PMID: 35013995 PMCID: PMC9001546 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-021-02438-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Selecting relevant visual information in complex scenes by processing either global information or local parts helps us act efficiently within our environment and achieve goals. A global advantage (faster global than local processing) and global interference (global processing interferes with local processing) comprise an evidentiary global precedence phenomenon in early adulthood. However, the impact of healthy aging on this phenomenon remains unclear. As such, we collected behavioral data during a visual search task, including three-levels hierarchical stimuli (i.e., global, intermediate, and local levels) with several hierarchical distractors, in 50 healthy adults (26 younger (mean age: 26 years) and 24 older (mean age: 62 years)). Results revealed that processing information presented at the global and intermediate levels was independent of age. Conversely, older adults were slower for local processing compared to the younger adults, suggesting lower efficiency to deal with visual distractors during detail-oriented visual search. Although healthy older adults continued exhibiting a global precedence phenomenon, they were disproportionately less efficient during local aspects of information processing, especially when multiple visual information was displayed. Our results could have important implications for many life situations by suggesting that visual information processing is impacted by healthy aging, even with similar visual stimuli objectively presented.
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9
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Dodwell G, Liesefeld HR, Conci M, Müller HJ, Töllner T. EEG evidence for enhanced attentional performance during moderate-intensity exercise. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13923. [PMID: 34370887 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Research on attentional control within real-world contexts has become substantially more feasible and thus frequent over the past decade. However, relatively little is known regarding how these processes may be influenced by common naturalistic behaviors such as engaging in physical activity, which is thought to modulate the availability of neurometabolic resources. Here, we used an event-related potential (ERP) approach to determine whether various intensities of aerobic exercise might affect the concurrent performance of attentional control mechanisms. Participants performed an additional-singleton visual search task across three levels of aerobic activity while seated on a stationary bicycle: at rest, during moderate-intensity exercise, and during vigorous-intensity exercise. In addition to behavioral measures, attentional processing was assessed via lateralized ERPs referencing target selection (PCN) and distractor suppression (PD ) mechanisms. Whereas engaging in exercise resulted in speeded response times overall, moderate-intensity exercise was found to uniquely eliminate the expression of distractor interference by the PCN while also giving rise to an unanticipated distractor-elicited Ppc. These findings demonstrate workload-specific and object-selective influences of aerobic exercise on attentional processing, providing insights not only for approaching attention in real-world contexts but also for understanding how attentional resources are used overall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Dodwell
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Heinrich R Liesefeld
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Markus Conci
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Hermann J Müller
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Töllner
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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10
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Yang J, Sui L, Wu H, Wu Q, Mei X, Wu X. Interference of Illusory Contour Perception by a Distractor. Front Psychol 2021; 12:526972. [PMID: 34177673 PMCID: PMC8231925 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.526972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The visual system is capable of recognizing objects when object information is widely separated in space, as revealed by the Kanizsa-type illusory contours (ICs). Attentional involvement in perception of ICs is an important topic, and the present study examined whether and how the processing of ICs is interfered with by a distractor. Discrimination between thin and short deformations of an illusory circle was investigated in the absence or presence of a central dynamic patch, with difficulty of discrimination varied in three levels (easy, medium, and hard). Reaction time (RT) was significantly shorter in the absence compared to the presence of the distractor in the easy and medium conditions. Correct rate (CR) was significantly higher in the absence compared to the presence of the distractor in the easy condition, and the magnitude of the difference between CRs of distracted and non-distracted responses significantly reduced as task difficulty increased. These results suggested that perception of ICs is more likely to be vulnerable to distraction when more attentional resources remain available. The present finding supports that attention is engaged in perception of ICs and that distraction of IC processing is associated with perceptual load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junkai Yang
- Laboratory for Behavioral and Regional Finance, Guangdong University of Finance, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lisen Sui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongyuan Wu
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Wu
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolin Mei
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Wu
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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11
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Nowack L, Finke K, Biel AL, Keller I, Müller HJ, Conci M. Attention capture by salient object groupings in the neglected visual field. Cortex 2021; 138:228-240. [PMID: 33730606 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The integration of fragmentary parts into coherent whole objects has been proposed either to rely on the availability of attentional resources or to arise automatically, that is, from preattentive processing (prior to the engagement of selective attention). In the present study, these two alternative accounts were tested in a group of neglect patients with right-hemisphere parietal brain damage and associated deficits of selective attention in the left (visual) hemispace. The reported experiment employed a search task that required detection of targets in the left and/or right hemifields, which were embedded in configurations that consisted of variants of Kanizsa figures. The results showed that a salient, grouped Kanizsa triangle presented within the unattended, left hemifield can substantially improve contralesional target detection, though the very same triangle configuration does not facilitate target detection in the impaired hemifield when presented together with an ipsilesional, but non-salient (i.e., structurally non-integrated, isolated) target. That is, attention is captured by the grouped object in the impaired hemispace only when it is not engaged in the processing of an (isolated) object in the attended hemispace. This demonstrates that both part-to-whole-object integration and search guidance by salient, integrated objects crucially require attentional resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Nowack
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
| | - Kathrin Finke
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany; Hans Berger Department of Neurology, University Hospital Jena, Germany
| | - Anna Lena Biel
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Ingo Keller
- Department of Neuropsychology, Medical Park Bad Feilnbach, Germany
| | - Hermann J Müller
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Conci
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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12
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Zinchenko A, Conci M, Töllner T, Müller HJ, Geyer T. Automatic Guidance (and Misguidance) of Visuospatial Attention by Acquired Scene Memory: Evidence From an N1pc Polarity Reversal. Psychol Sci 2020; 31:1531-1543. [PMID: 33119432 PMCID: PMC7734553 DOI: 10.1177/0956797620954815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual search is facilitated when the target is repeatedly encountered at a fixed position within an invariant (vs. randomly variable) distractor layout—that is, when the layout is learned and guides attention to the target, a phenomenon known as contextual cuing. Subsequently changing the target location within a learned layout abolishes contextual cuing, which is difficult to relearn. Here, we used lateralized event-related electroencephalogram (EEG) potentials to explore memory-based attentional guidance (N = 16). The results revealed reliable contextual cuing during initial learning and an associated EEG-amplitude increase for repeated layouts in attention-related components, starting with an early posterior negativity (N1pc, 80–180 ms). When the target was relocated to the opposite hemifield following learning, contextual cuing was effectively abolished, and the N1pc was reversed in polarity (indicative of persistent misguidance of attention to the original target location). Thus, once learned, repeated layouts trigger attentional-priority signals from memory that proactively interfere with contextual relearning after target relocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artyom Zinchenko
- Artyom Zinchenko, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Department of Psychology E-mail:
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13
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Object-based grouping benefits without integrated feature representations in visual working memory. Atten Percept Psychophys 2020; 83:1357-1374. [PMID: 33073323 PMCID: PMC8049898 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-020-02153-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Visual working memory (VWM) is typically considered to represent complete objects—that is, separate parts of an object are maintained as bound objects. Yet it remains unclear whether and how the features of disparate parts are integrated into a whole-object memory representation. Using a change detection paradigm, the present study investigated whether VWM performance varies as a function of grouping strength for features that either determine the grouped object (orientation) or that are not directly grouping relevant (color). Our results showed a large grouping benefit for grouping-relevant orientation features and, additionally, a much smaller, albeit reliable, benefit for grouping-irrelevant color features when both were potentially task relevant. By contrast, when color was the only task-relevant feature, no grouping benefit from the orientation feature was revealed both under lower or relatively high demands for precision. Together, these results indicate that different features of an object are stored independently in VWM; and an emerging, higher-order grouping structure does not automatically lead to an integrated representation of all available features of an object. Instead, an object benefit depends on the specific task demands, which may generate a linked, task-dependent representation of independent features.
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14
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Chen S, Nie QY, Müller HJ, Conci M. Kanizsa-figure object completion gates selection in the attentional blink. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2019; 72:1741-1755. [PMID: 30501573 DOI: 10.1177/1747021818820009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous work has demonstrated that perceptual grouping modulates the selectivity of attention across space. By contrast, how grouping influences the allocation of attention over time is much less clear. This study investigated this issue, using an attentional blink (AB) paradigm to test how grouping influences the initial selection and the subsequent short-term memory consolidation of a target. On a given trial, two red Kanizsa-type targets (T1 and T2) with varying grouping strength were embedded in a rapid serial visual presentation stream of irrelevant distractors. Our results showed the typical AB finding: impaired identification of T2 when presented close in time following T1. Moreover, the AB was modulated by the T2 grouping-independently of the T1 structure-with stronger grouping leading to a decreased AB and overall higher performance. Conversely, a reversed pattern, namely an increased AB with increasing grouping strength was observed when the Kanizsa figure was not task-relevant. Together, these findings suggest that the grouping benefit emerges at early perceptual stages, automatically drawing attentional resources, thereby leading to either sustained benefits or transient costs-depending on the task-relevance of the grouped object. This indicates that grouping modulates processing of objects in time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyi Chen
- Allgemeine und Experimentelle Psychologie, Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Qi-Yang Nie
- Allgemeine und Experimentelle Psychologie, Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Hermann J Müller
- Allgemeine und Experimentelle Psychologie, Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Conci
- Allgemeine und Experimentelle Psychologie, Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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15
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Zurrón M, Lindín M, Cespón J, Cid-Fernández S, Galdo-Álvarez S, Ramos-Goicoa M, Díaz F. Effects of Mild Cognitive Impairment on the Event-Related Brain Potential Components Elicited in Executive Control Tasks. Front Psychol 2018; 9:842. [PMID: 29910756 PMCID: PMC5992409 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We summarize here the findings of several studies in which we analyzed the event-related brain potentials (ERPs) elicited in participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and in healthy controls during performance of executive tasks. The objective of these studies was to investigate the neural functioning associated with executive processes in MCI. With this aim, we recorded the brain electrical activity generated in response to stimuli in three executive control tasks (Stroop, Simon, and Go/NoGo) adapted for use with the ERP technique. We found that the latencies of the ERP components associated with the evaluation and categorization of the stimuli were longer in participants with amnestic MCI than in the paired controls, particularly those with multiple-domain amnestic MCI, and that the allocation of neural resources for attending to the stimuli was weaker in participants with amnestic MCI. The MCI participants also showed deficient functioning of the response selection and preparation processes demanded by each task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montserrat Zurrón
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva Aplicada, Departamento de Psicoloxía Clínica e Psicobioloxía, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Mónica Lindín
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva Aplicada, Departamento de Psicoloxía Clínica e Psicobioloxía, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Jesús Cespón
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Susana Cid-Fernández
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva Aplicada, Departamento de Psicoloxía Clínica e Psicobioloxía, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Sezione di Neuroscienze Cognitive - Laboratorio di Neurofisiologia, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio, Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Santiago Galdo-Álvarez
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva Aplicada, Departamento de Psicoloxía Clínica e Psicobioloxía, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Marta Ramos-Goicoa
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva Aplicada, Departamento de Psicoloxía Clínica e Psicobioloxía, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Fernando Díaz
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva Aplicada, Departamento de Psicoloxía Clínica e Psicobioloxía, Facultade de Psicoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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16
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Sun M, Wang E, Huang J, Zhao C, Guo J, Li D, Sun L, Du B, Ding Y, Song Y. Attentional selection and suppression in children and adults. Dev Sci 2018; 21:e12684. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Meirong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Beijing Normal University; Beijing China
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences; Peking University; Beijing China
| | - Encong Wang
- Unit of Psychological Medicine; Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital; Capital Medical University; Beijing China
| | - Jing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Beijing Normal University; Beijing China
| | - Chenguang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Beijing Normal University; Beijing China
| | - Jialiang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Beijing Normal University; Beijing China
| | - Dongwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Beijing Normal University; Beijing China
| | - Li Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital / Institute of Mental Health; Beijing China
| | - Boqi Du
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Beijing Normal University; Beijing China
| | - Yulong Ding
- Brain and Cognition Laboratory; Department of Psychology; Sun Yat-Sen University; Guangdong China
| | - Yan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Beijing Normal University; Beijing China
- Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences; Beijing Normal University; Beijing China
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17
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Conci M, Groß J, Keller I, Müller HJ, Finke K. Attention as the ‘glue’ for object integration in parietal extinction. Cortex 2018; 101:60-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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18
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Wiegand I, Napiórkowski N, Töllner T, Petersen A, Habekost T, Müller HJ, Finke K. Event-related Electroencephalographic Lateralizations Mark Individual Differences in Spatial and Nonspatial Visual Selection. J Cogn Neurosci 2017; 30:482-497. [PMID: 29244636 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Selective attention controls the distribution of our visual system's limited processing resources to stimuli in the visual field. Two independent parameters of visual selection can be quantified by modeling an individual's performance in a partial-report task based on the computational theory of visual attention (TVA): (i) top-down control α, the relative attentional weighting of relevant over irrelevant stimuli, and (ii) spatial bias wλ, the relative attentional weighting of stimuli in the left versus right hemifield. In this study, we found that visual event-related electroencephalographic lateralizations marked interindividual differences in these two functions. First, individuals with better top-down control showed higher amplitudes of the posterior contralateral negativity than individuals with poorer top-down control. Second, differences in spatial bias were reflected in asymmetries in earlier visual event-related lateralizations depending on the hemifield position of targets; specifically, individuals showed a positivity contralateral to targets presented in their prioritized hemifield and a negativity contralateral to targets presented in their nonprioritized hemifield. Thus, our findings demonstrate that two functionally different aspects of attentional weighting quantified in the respective TVA parameters are reflected in two different neurophysiological measures: The observer-dependent spatial bias influences selection by a bottom-up processing advantage of stimuli appearing in the prioritized hemifield. By contrast, task-related target selection governed by top-down control involves active enhancement of target, and/or suppression of distractor, processing. These results confirm basic assumptions of the TVA framework, complement the functional interpretation of event-related lateralization components in selective attention studies, and are of relevance for the development of neurocognitive attentional assessment procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wiegand
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research.,Max Planck Institute for Human Development.,Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School
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19
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Wiegand I, Petersen A, Bundesen C, Habekost T. Phasic alerting increases visual attention capacity in younger but not in older individuals. VISUAL COGNITION 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/13506285.2017.1330791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wiegand
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Max-Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Development, Max-Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anders Petersen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claus Bundesen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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20
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Compliance instead of flexibility? On age-related differences in cognitive control during visual search. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 53:169-180. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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21
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Wiegand I, Petersen A, Finke K, Bundesen C, Lansner J, Habekost T. Behavioral and Brain Measures of Phasic Alerting Effects on Visual Attention. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:176. [PMID: 28443009 PMCID: PMC5385325 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated effects of phasic alerting on visual attention in a partial report task, in which half of the displays were preceded by an auditory warning cue. Based on the computational Theory of Visual Attention (TVA), we estimated parameters of spatial and non-spatial aspects of visual attention and measured event-related lateralizations (ERLs) over visual processing areas. We found that the TVA parameter sensory effectiveness a, which is thought to reflect visual processing capacity, significantly increased with phasic alerting. By contrast, the distribution of visual processing resources according to task relevance and spatial position, as quantified in parameters top-down control α and spatial bias windex, was not modulated by phasic alerting. On the electrophysiological level, the latencies of ERLs in response to the task displays were reduced following the warning cue. These results suggest that phasic alerting facilitates visual processing in a general, unselective manner and that this effect originates in early stages of visual information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wiegand
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Lifespan Development, Max-Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentBerlin, Germany.,Max-Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing ResearchBerlin, Germany
| | - Anders Petersen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kathrin Finke
- General and Experimental Psychology, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) MunichMunich, Germany.,Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University HospitalJena, Germany
| | - Claus Bundesen
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jon Lansner
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Habekost
- Center for Visual Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
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22
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Gögler N, Finke K, Keller I, Müller HJ, Conci M. Object integration requires attention: Visual search for Kanizsa figures in parietal extinction. Neuropsychologia 2016; 92:42-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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23
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Marini F, Marzi CA. Gestalt Perceptual Organization of Visual Stimuli Captures Attention Automatically: Electrophysiological Evidence. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:446. [PMID: 27630555 PMCID: PMC5005981 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The visual system leverages organizational regularities of perceptual elements to create meaningful representations of the world. One clear example of such function, which has been formalized in the Gestalt psychology principles, is the perceptual grouping of simple visual elements (e.g., lines and arcs) into unitary objects (e.g., forms and shapes). The present study sought to characterize automatic attentional capture and related cognitive processing of Gestalt-like visual stimuli at the psychophysiological level by using event-related potentials (ERPs). We measured ERPs during a simple visual reaction time task with bilateral presentations of physically matched elements with or without a Gestalt organization. Results showed that Gestalt (vs. non-Gestalt) stimuli are characterized by a larger N2pc together with enhanced ERP amplitudes of non-lateralized components (N1, N2, P3) starting around 150 ms post-stimulus onset. Thus, we conclude that Gestalt stimuli capture attention automatically and entail characteristic psychophysiological signatures at both early and late processing stages. Highlights We studied the neural signatures of the automatic processes of visual attention elicited by Gestalt stimuli. We found that a reliable early correlate of attentional capture turned out to be the N2pc component. Perceptual and cognitive processing of Gestalt stimuli is associated with larger N1, N2, and P3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Marini
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of VeronaVerona, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La JollaCA, USA
| | - Carlo A Marzi
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of VeronaVerona, Italy; National Institute of NeuroscienceVerona, Italy
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24
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Nie QY, Maurer M, Müller HJ, Conci M. Inhibition drives configural superiority of illusory Gestalt: Combined behavioral and drift–diffusion model evidence. Cognition 2016; 150:150-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2016.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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