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Greco A, D'Alessandro M, Gallitto G, Rastelli C, Braun C, Caria A. Statistical Learning of Incidental Perceptual Regularities Induces Sensory Conditioned Cortical Responses. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:576. [PMID: 39194514 DOI: 10.3390/biology13080576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Statistical learning of sensory patterns can lead to predictive neural processes enhancing stimulus perception and enabling fast deviancy detection. Predictive processes have been extensively demonstrated when environmental statistical regularities are relevant to task execution. Preliminary evidence indicates that statistical learning can even occur independently of task relevance and top-down attention, although the temporal profile and neural mechanisms underlying sensory predictions and error signals induced by statistical learning of incidental sensory regularities remain unclear. In our study, we adopted an implicit sensory conditioning paradigm that elicited the generation of specific perceptual priors in relation to task-irrelevant audio-visual associations, while recording Electroencephalography (EEG). Our results showed that learning task-irrelevant associations between audio-visual stimuli resulted in anticipatory neural responses to predictive auditory stimuli conveying anticipatory signals of expected visual stimulus presence or absence. Moreover, we observed specific modulation of cortical responses to probabilistic visual stimulus presentation or omission. Pattern similarity analysis indicated that predictive auditory stimuli tended to resemble the response to expected visual stimulus presence or absence. Remarkably, Hierarchical Gaussian filter modeling estimating dynamic changes of prediction error signals in relation to differential probabilistic occurrences of audio-visual stimuli further demonstrated instantiation of predictive neural signals by showing distinct neural processing of prediction error in relation to violation of expected visual stimulus presence or absence. Overall, our findings indicated that statistical learning of non-salient and task-irrelevant perceptual regularities could induce the generation of neural priors at the time of predictive stimulus presentation, possibly conveying sensory-specific information about the predicted consecutive stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Greco
- Department of Neural Dynamics and Magnetoencephalography, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- MEG Center, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marco D'Alessandro
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gallitto
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Clara Rastelli
- MEG Center, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Christoph Braun
- Department of Neural Dynamics and Magnetoencephalography, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- MEG Center, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Caria
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
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2
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Onysk J, Gregory N, Whitefield M, Jain M, Turner G, Seymour B, Mancini F. Statistical learning shapes pain perception and prediction independently of external cues. eLife 2024; 12:RP90634. [PMID: 38985572 PMCID: PMC11236420 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90634] [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] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The placebo and nocebo effects highlight the importance of expectations in modulating pain perception, but in everyday life we don't need an external source of information to form expectations about pain. The brain can learn to predict pain in a more fundamental way, simply by experiencing fluctuating, non-random streams of noxious inputs, and extracting their temporal regularities. This process is called statistical learning. Here, we address a key open question: does statistical learning modulate pain perception? We asked 27 participants to both rate and predict pain intensity levels in sequences of fluctuating heat pain. Using a computational approach, we show that probabilistic expectations and confidence were used to weigh pain perception and prediction. As such, this study goes beyond well-established conditioning paradigms associating non-pain cues with pain outcomes, and shows that statistical learning itself shapes pain experience. This finding opens a new path of research into the brain mechanisms of pain regulation, with relevance to chronic pain where it may be dysfunctional.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Onysk
- Computational and Biological Learning Unit, Department of Engineering, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Applied Computational Psychiatry Lab, Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Queen Square Institute of Neurology and Mental Health Neuroscience Department, Division of Psychiatry, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Gregory
- Computational and Biological Learning Unit, Department of Engineering, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Mia Whitefield
- Computational and Biological Learning Unit, Department of Engineering, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Maeghal Jain
- Computational and Biological Learning Unit, Department of Engineering, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Georgia Turner
- Computational and Biological Learning Unit, Department of Engineering, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Ben Seymour
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, John Radcliffe Hospital, HeadingtonOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet)OsakaJapan
| | - Flavia Mancini
- Computational and Biological Learning Unit, Department of Engineering, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
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3
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Arató J, Rothkopf CA, Fiser J. Eye movements reflect active statistical learning. J Vis 2024; 24:17. [PMID: 38819805 PMCID: PMC11146064 DOI: 10.1167/jov.24.5.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
What is the link between eye movements and sensory learning? Although some theories have argued for an automatic interaction between what we know and where we look that continuously modulates human information gathering behavior during both implicit and explicit learning, there exists limited experimental evidence supporting such an ongoing interplay. To address this issue, we used a visual statistical learning paradigm combined with a gaze-contingent stimulus presentation and manipulated the explicitness of the task to explore how learning and eye movements interact. During both implicit exploration and explicit visual learning of unknown composite visual scenes, spatial eye movement patterns systematically and gradually changed in accordance with the underlying statistical structure of the scenes. Moreover, the degree of change was directly correlated with the amount and type of knowledge the observers acquired. This suggests that eye movements are potential indicators of active learning, a process where long-term knowledge, current visual stimuli and an inherent tendency to reduce uncertainty about the visual environment jointly determine where we look.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Arató
- Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Cognitive Computation, Central European University, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Constantin A Rothkopf
- Center for Cognitive Science & Institute of Psychology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - József Fiser
- Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Cognitive Computation, Central European University, Vienna, Austria
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4
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Khayr R, Karawani H, Banai K. Implicit learning and individual differences in speech recognition: an exploratory study. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1238823. [PMID: 37744578 PMCID: PMC10513179 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1238823] [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: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in speech recognition in challenging listening environments are pronounced. Studies suggest that implicit learning is one variable that may contribute to this variability. Here, we explored the unique contributions of three indices of implicit learning to individual differences in the recognition of challenging speech. To this end, we assessed three indices of implicit learning (perceptual, statistical, and incidental), three types of challenging speech (natural fast, vocoded, and speech in noise), and cognitive factors associated with speech recognition (vocabulary, working memory, and attention) in a group of 51 young adults. Speech recognition was modeled as a function of the cognitive factors and learning, and the unique contribution of each index of learning was statistically isolated. The three indices of learning were uncorrelated. Whereas all indices of learning had unique contributions to the recognition of natural-fast speech, only statistical learning had a unique contribution to the recognition of speech in noise and vocoded speech. These data suggest that although implicit learning may contribute to the recognition of challenging speech, the contribution may depend on the type of speech challenge and on the learning task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranin Khayr
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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5
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Duncan DH, van Moorselaar D, Theeuwes J. Pinging the brain to reveal the hidden attentional priority map using encephalography. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4749. [PMID: 37550310 PMCID: PMC10406833 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40405-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention has been usefully thought of as organized in priority maps - putative maps of space where attentional priority is weighted across spatial regions in a winner-take-all competition for attentional deployment. Recent work has highlighted the influence of past experiences on the weighting of spatial priority - called selection history. Aside from being distinct from more well-studied, top-down forms of attentional enhancement, little is known about the neural substrates of history-mediated attentional priority. Using a task known to induce statistical learning of target distributions, in an EEG study we demonstrate that this otherwise invisible, latent attentional priority map can be visualized during the intertrial period using a 'pinging' technique in conjunction with multivariate pattern analyses. Our findings not only offer a method of visualizing the history-mediated attentional priority map, but also shed light on the underlying mechanisms allowing our past experiences to influence future behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dock H Duncan
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Institute Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (iBBA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Dirk van Moorselaar
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Institute Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (iBBA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Theeuwes
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Institute Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (iBBA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- William James Center for Research, ISPA-Instituto Universitario, Lisbon, Portugal
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6
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Online measurement of learning temporal statistical structure in categorization tasks. Mem Cognit 2022; 50:1530-1545. [PMID: 35377057 PMCID: PMC9508059 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-022-01302-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe ability to grasp relevant patterns from a continuous stream of environmental information is called statistical learning. Although the representations that emerge during visual statistical learning (VSL) are well characterized, little is known about how they are formed. We developed a sensitive behavioral design to characterize the VSL trajectory during ongoing task performance. In sequential categorization tasks, we assessed two previously identified VSL markers: priming of the second predictable image in a pair manifested by a reduced reaction time (RT) and greater accuracy, and the anticipatory effect on the first image revealed by a longer RT. First, in Experiment 1A, we used an adapted paradigm and replicated these VSL markers; however, they appeared to be confounded by motor learning. Next, in Experiment 1B, we confirmed the confounding influence of motor learning. To assess VSL without motor learning, in Experiment 2 we (1) simplified the categorization task, (2) raised the number of subjects and image repetitions, and (3) increased the number of single unpaired images. Using linear mixed-effect modeling and estimated marginal means of linear trends, we found that the RT curves differed significantly between predictable paired and control single images. Further, the VSL curve fitted a logarithmic model, suggesting a rapid learning process. These results suggest that our paradigm in Experiment 2 seems to be a viable online tool to monitor the behavioral correlates of unsupervised implicit VSL.
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7
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Thorat S, Quek GL, Peelen MV. Statistical learning of distractor co-occurrences facilitates visual search. J Vis 2022; 22:2. [PMID: 36053133 PMCID: PMC9440606 DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.10.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual search is facilitated by knowledge of the relationship between the target and the distractors, including both where the target is likely to be among the distractors and how it differs from the distractors. Whether the statistical structure among distractors themselves, unrelated to target properties, facilitates search is less well understood. Here, we assessed the benefit of distractor structure using novel shapes whose relationship to each other was learned implicitly during visual search. Participants searched for target items in arrays of shapes that comprised either four pairs of co-occurring distractor shapes (structured scenes) or eight distractor shapes randomly partitioned into four pairs on each trial (unstructured scenes). Across five online experiments (N = 1,140), we found that after a period of search training, participants were more efficient when searching for targets in structured than unstructured scenes. This structure benefit emerged independently of whether the position of the shapes within each pair was fixed or variable and despite participants having no explicit knowledge of the structured pairs they had seen. These results show that implicitly learned co-occurrence statistics between distractor shapes increases search efficiency. Increased efficiency in the rejection of regularly co-occurring distractors may contribute to the efficiency of visual search in natural scenes, where such regularities are abundant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushrut Thorat
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,
| | - Genevieve L Quek
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.,
| | - Marius V Peelen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,
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8
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Abstract
Vision and learning have long been considered to be two areas of research linked only distantly. However, recent developments in vision research have changed the conceptual definition of vision from a signal-evaluating process to a goal-oriented interpreting process, and this shift binds learning, together with the resulting internal representations, intimately to vision. In this review, we consider various types of learning (perceptual, statistical, and rule/abstract) associated with vision in the past decades and argue that they represent differently specialized versions of the fundamental learning process, which must be captured in its entirety when applied to complex visual processes. We show why the generalized version of statistical learning can provide the appropriate setup for such a unified treatment of learning in vision, what computational framework best accommodates this kind of statistical learning, and what plausible neural scheme could feasibly implement this framework. Finally, we list the challenges that the field of statistical learning faces in fulfilling the promise of being the right vehicle for advancing our understanding of vision in its entirety. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 8 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Fiser
- Department of Cognitive Science, Center for Cognitive Computation, Central European University, Vienna 1100, Austria;
| | - Gábor Lengyel
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
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9
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Pereira CLW, Zhou R, Pitt MA, Myung JI, Rossi PJ, Caverzasi E, Rah E, Allen IE, Mandelli ML, Meyer M, Miller ZA, Gorno Tempini ML. Probabilistic Decision-Making in Children With Dyslexia. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:782306. [PMID: 35769704 PMCID: PMC9235406 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.782306] [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: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neurocognitive mechanisms underlying developmental dyslexia (dD) remain poorly characterized apart from phonological and/or visual processing deficits. Assuming such deficits, the process of learning complex tasks like reading requires the learner to make decisions (i.e., word pronunciation) based on uncertain information (e.g., aberrant phonological percepts)-a cognitive process known as probabilistic decision making, which has been linked to the striatum. We investigate (1) the relationship between dD and probabilistic decision-making and (2) the association between the volume of striatal structures and probabilistic decision-making in dD and typical readers. Methods Twenty four children diagnosed with dD underwent a comprehensive evaluation and MRI scanning (3T). Children with dD were compared to age-matched typical readers (n = 11) on a probabilistic, risk/reward fishing task that utilized a Bayesian cognitive model with game parameters of risk propensity (γ+) and behavioral consistency (β), as well as an overall adjusted score (average number of casts, excluding forced-fail trials). Volumes of striatal structures (caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens) were analyzed between groups and associated with game parameters. Results dD was associated with greater risk propensity and decreased behavioral consistency estimates compared to typical readers. Cognitive model parameters associated with timed pseudoword reading across groups. Risk propensity related to caudate volumes, particularly in the dD group. Conclusion Decision-making processes differentiate dD, associate with the caudate, and may impact learning mechanisms. This study suggests the need for further research into domain-general probabilistic decision-making in dD, neurocognitive mechanisms, and targeted interventions in dD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa L. Watson Pereira
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Ran Zhou
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Mark A. Pitt
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jay I. Myung
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - P. Justin Rossi
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Eduardo Caverzasi
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Esther Rah
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Isabel E. Allen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Maria Luisa Mandelli
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Marita Meyer
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Zachary A. Miller
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Maria Luisa Gorno Tempini
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Dyslexia Center, UCSF Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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10
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The effect of interference, offline sleep, and wake on spatial statistical learning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 193:107650. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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11
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Boros M, Magyari L, Török D, Bozsik A, Deme A, Andics A. Neural processes underlying statistical learning for speech segmentation in dogs. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5512-5521.e5. [PMID: 34717832 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
To learn words, humans extract statistical regularities from speech. Multiple species use statistical learning also to process speech, but the neural underpinnings of speech segmentation in non-humans remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated computational and neural markers of speech segmentation in dogs, a phylogenetically distant mammal that efficiently navigates humans' social and linguistic environment. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we compared event-related responses (ERPs) for artificial words previously presented in a continuous speech stream with different distributional statistics. Results revealed an early effect (220-470 ms) of transitional probability and a late component (590-790 ms) modulated by both word frequency and transitional probability. Using fMRI, we searched for brain regions sensitive to statistical regularities in speech. Structured speech elicited lower activity in the basal ganglia, a region involved in sequence learning, and repetition enhancement in the auditory cortex. Speech segmentation in dogs, similar to that of humans, involves complex computations, engaging both domain-general and modality-specific brain areas. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Boros
- MTA-ELTE "Lendület" Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Hungary; Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Hungary.
| | - Lilla Magyari
- MTA-ELTE "Lendület" Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Hungary; Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Hungary; Norwegian Reading Centre for Reading Education and Research, Faculty of Arts and Education, University of Stavanger, Professor Olav Hanssens vei 10, 4036 Stavanger, Norway
| | - Dávid Török
- MTA-ELTE "Lendület" Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Hungary; Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Hungary
| | - Anett Bozsik
- MTA-ELTE "Lendület" Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Hungary; Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1078 Budapest, István utca 2, Hungary
| | - Andrea Deme
- Department of Applied Linguistics and Phonetics, Eötvös Loránd University, 1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 4/A, Hungary; MTA-ELTE "Lendület" Lingual Articulation Research Group, 1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 4/A, Hungary
| | - Attila Andics
- MTA-ELTE "Lendület" Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Hungary; Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Hungary.
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12
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Schirmer A, Wijaya M, Chiu MH, Maess B, Gunter TC. Musical rhythm effects on visual attention are non-rhythmical: evidence against metrical entrainment. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:58-71. [PMID: 32507877 PMCID: PMC7812633 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The idea that external rhythms synchronize attention cross-modally has attracted much interest and scientific inquiry. Yet, whether associated attentional modulations are indeed rhythmical in that they spring from and map onto an underlying meter has not been clearly established. Here we tested this idea while addressing the shortcomings of previous work associated with confounding (i) metricality and regularity, (ii) rhythmic and temporal expectations or (iii) global and local temporal effects. We designed sound sequences that varied orthogonally (high/low) in metricality and regularity and presented them as task-irrelevant auditory background in four separate blocks. The participants' task was to detect rare visual targets occurring at a silent metrically aligned or misaligned temporal position. We found that target timing was irrelevant for reaction times and visual event-related potentials. High background regularity and to a lesser extent metricality facilitated target processing across metrically aligned and misaligned positions. Additionally, high regularity modulated auditory background frequencies in the EEG recorded over occipital cortex. We conclude that external rhythms, rather than synchronizing attention cross-modally, confer general, nontemporal benefits. Their predictability conserves processing resources that then benefit stimulus representations in other modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annett Schirmer
- Correspondence should be addressed to Annett Schirmer, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 3rd Floor, Sino Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong. E-mail:
| | - Maria Wijaya
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Man Hey Chiu
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Burkhard Maess
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Thomas C Gunter
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
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13
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Abstract
The central theme of this review is the dynamic interaction between information selection and learning. We pose a fundamental question about this interaction: How do we learn what features of our experiences are worth learning about? In humans, this process depends on attention and memory, two cognitive functions that together constrain representations of the world to features that are relevant for goal attainment. Recent evidence suggests that the representations shaped by attention and memory are themselves inferred from experience with each task. We review this evidence and place it in the context of work that has explicitly characterized representation learning as statistical inference. We discuss how inference can be scaled to real-world decisions by approximating beliefs based on a small number of experiences. Finally, we highlight some implications of this inference process for human decision-making in social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Radulescu
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA; .,Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Yeon Soon Shin
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Yael Niv
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA; .,Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
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14
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Individual difference predictors of learning and generalization in perceptual learning. Atten Percept Psychophys 2021; 83:2241-2255. [PMID: 33723726 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-021-02268-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Given appropriate training, human observers typically demonstrate clear improvements in performance on perceptual tasks. However, the benefits of training frequently fail to generalize to other tasks, even those that appear similar to the trained task. A great deal of research has focused on the training task characteristics that influence the extent to which learning generalizes. However, less is known about what might predict the considerable individual variations in performance. As such, we conducted an individual differences study to identify basic cognitive abilities and/or dispositional traits that predict an individual's ability to learn and/or generalize learning in tasks of perceptual learning. We first showed that the rate of learning and the asymptotic level of performance that is achieved in two different perceptual learning tasks (motion direction and odd-ball texture detection) are correlated across individuals, as is the degree of immediate generalization that is observed and the rate at which a generalization task is learned. This indicates that there are indeed consistent individual differences in perceptual learning abilities. We then showed that several basic cognitive abilities and dispositional traits are associated with an individual's ability to learn (e.g., simple reaction time; sensitivity to punishment) and/or generalize learning (e.g., cognitive flexibility; openness to experience) in perceptual learning tasks. We suggest that the observed individual difference relationships may provide possible targets for future intervention studies meant to increase perceptual learning and generalization.
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15
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Abstract
New research reveals a complex interaction between attention and learning across the lifespan. In young adults, attention guides learning. In older adults, attention declines lead to less selective learning. Counterintuitively, however, in children better attention relates to less selective learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron R Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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Hoehl S, Fairhurst M, Schirmer A. Interactional synchrony: signals, mechanisms and benefits. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:5-18. [PMID: 32128587 PMCID: PMC7812629 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many group-living animals, humans included, occasionally synchronize their behavior with that of conspecifics. Social psychology and neuroscience have attempted to explain this phenomenon. Here we sought to integrate results around three themes: the stimuli, the mechanisms and the benefits of interactional synchrony. As regards stimuli, we asked what characteristics, apart from temporal regularity, prompt synchronization and found that stimulus modality and complexity are important. The high temporal resolution of the auditory system and the relevance of socio-emotional information endow auditory, multimodal, emotional and somewhat variable and adaptive sequences with particular synchronizing power. Looking at the mechanisms revealed that traditional perspectives emphasizing beat-based representations of others' signals conflict with more recent work investigating the perception of temporal regularity. Timing processes supported by striato-cortical loops represent any kind of repetitive interval sequence fairly automatically. Additionally, socio-emotional processes supported by posterior superior temporal cortex help endow such sequences with value motivating the extent of synchronizing. Synchronizing benefits arise from an increased predictability of incoming signals and include many positive outcomes ranging from basic information processing at the individual level to the bonding of dyads and larger groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Hoehl
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Merle Fairhurst
- Institute for Psychology, Bundeswehr University Munich, Germany
- Munich Center for Neuroscience, Ludwig Maximilian University, Germany
| | - Annett Schirmer
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 3rd Floor, Sino Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 3rd Floor, Sino Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
- Center for Cognition and Brain Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 3rd Floor, Sino Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
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Statistically defined visual chunks engage object-based attention. Nat Commun 2021; 12:272. [PMID: 33431837 PMCID: PMC7801661 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20589-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Although objects are the fundamental units of our representation interpreting the environment around us, it is still not clear how we handle and organize the incoming sensory information to form object representations. By utilizing previously well-documented advantages of within-object over across-object information processing, here we test whether learning involuntarily consistent visual statistical properties of stimuli that are free of any traditional segmentation cues might be sufficient to create object-like behavioral effects. Using a visual statistical learning paradigm and measuring efficiency of 3-AFC search and object-based attention, we find that statistically defined and implicitly learned visual chunks bias observers' behavior in subsequent search tasks the same way as objects defined by visual boundaries do. These results suggest that learning consistent statistical contingencies based on the sensory input contributes to the emergence of object representations.
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Nydam AS, Sewell DK, Dux PE. Effects of tDCS on visual statistical learning. Neuropsychologia 2020; 148:107652. [PMID: 33069791 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107652] [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: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Visual statistical learning describes the encoding of structure in sensory input, and it has important consequences for cognition and behaviour. Higher-order brain regions in the prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices have been associated with statistical learning behaviours. Yet causal evidence of a cortical contribution remains limited. In a recent study, the modulation of cortical activity by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) disrupted statistical learning in a spatial contextual cueing phenomenon; supporting a cortical role. Here, we examined whether the same tDCS protocol would influence statistical learning assessed by the Visual Statistical Learning phenomenon (i.e., Fiser and Aslin, 2001), which uses identity-based regularities while controlling for spatial location. In Experiment 1, we employed the popular exposure-test design to tap the learning of structure after passive viewing. Using a large sample (N = 150), we found no effect of the tDCS protocol when compared to a sham control nor to an active control region. In Experiment 2 (N = 80), we developed an online task that was sensitive to the timecourse of learning. Under these task conditions, we did observe a stimulation effect on learning, consistent with the previous work. The way tDCS affected learning appeared to be task-specific; expediting statistical learning in this case. Together with the existing evidence, these findings support the hypothesis that cortical areas are involved in the visual statistical learning process, and suggest the mechanisms of cortical involvement may be task-dependent and dynamic across time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbey S Nydam
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - David K Sewell
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Paul E Dux
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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