Modulation of the Directional Attention Deficit in Visual Neglect by Hemispatial Factors

Using a visuo-spatial cuing paradigm, Posner and collaborators (Posner, Cohen, & Rafal, 1982; Posner, Walker, Friedrich, & Rafal, 1984) reported that subjects with a parietal lobe lesion have difficulty in disengaging their visual attention from an invalidly precued location in the ipsilesional hemifield when the target they have to respond to is presented in the contralesional field. Later, these authors (Posner, Walker, Friedrich, & Rafal, 1987) proposed that this disengagement deficit is one involving spatial shifts of attention in a contralesional direction, irrespective of the visual hemifield in which the target is presented. This proposal of a directional disengagement deficit along the horizontal axis, present in either hemifield, contrasts with a report by Baynes, Holtzman, & Volpe (1986) showing, in right parietal subjects, a disengagement deficit for shifts of attention along the vertical axis that is only manifest in the contralesional hemifield. In the present report, we assessed the disengagement deficit of a neglect subject along the horizontal and vertical axes. Results show a disengagement deficit restricted to shifts of attention in the contralesional direction (horizontal axis), which is significant only in the contralesional visual hemifield. However, there is a clear trend for a directional disengagement deficit in the ipsilateral field. These observations indicate that the attention deficit present in neglect is directional and is modulated either by hemispatial factors or by the lateral target location in the visual field. On the basis of the present results, it is proposed that the deficit of parietal subjects may best be conceptualized as one of attentional capture for stimuli located on the contralesional side of the current focus of attention rather than one of disengagement.     

Latent Inhibition Depends on Inhibitory Attentional Learning to the Preexposed Stimulus: Evidence from Visual Search and Rule-Learning Tasks

Latent inhibition (LI) refers to findings of poorer learning with stimuli preexposed as irrelevant, compared to novel stimuli. In order to investigate the role of attention in traditional LI, two experiments with human subjects were conducted. Experiment 1 used a simplified visual-search design. As in previous studies, but now with a simpler design, there was a LI-like effect, thereby supporting the position that attentional learning to irrelevantly preexposed stimuli is reduced. Experiment 2 introduced conditions that were designed to exclude a potential contribution of novel popout to the visual-search LI-like effect. It was shown that the effect could be observed independently of contributions from novel popout. In addition, when participants were divided into good and poor attentional learners on the basis of visual-search LI scores, traditional rule-learning LI was established in good attentional learners, whereas it was absent in poor attentional learners. Together, these results indicate that visual-search procedures can be used to provide a measure for LI, and, as such, they support attention-based explanations of traditional LI.     

The Influence of Attentional State and Stimulus Characteristics on Infant Distractibility

To examine the interactive effects of stimulus characteristics and attentional state on the allocation of attention in infancy, we presented distractor stimuli to 7-month-old infants while they explored novel objects, and we measured the infants' latencies to turn toward the distractors. Two different types of distractor stimuli (single-tone vs. alternating-tone) were used. For each stimulus presentation we determined whether the infant was engaged in focused or casual attention toward the novel object before the distractor was presented. As in previous studies, we found that distraction latencies were shorter during casual attention than during focused attention, but this effect was found to interact with the type of distractor stimulus. There was no effect of attentional state for the alternating-tone distractor, whereas there was an effect of attentional state for the single-tone distractor. Thus, external stimulus variables interact with an infant's internal attentional state to determine the moment-by-moment allocation of attention.     

Attentional Demands Associated With Postural Control Depend on Task Difficulty and Visual Condition

The authors aimed to assess the effect of vision on variations in attentional resources allocated to postural control during tasks of various levels of difficulty. Test-retest reliability of postural and cognitive parameters was also evaluated. Twenty adults stood quietly on a force platform during 30-s trials (primary task). Twelve conditions involving combinations of three bases of support, two vision conditions, and the presence or absence of a simple reaction time task (secondary task) were tested. Baseline trials of the reaction time task were also performed with the participants seated. Reaction time and postural parameters demonstrated good to excellent test-retest reliability in most conditions. Postural control was altered by the reduction of the base of support and by the absence of vision. Maintaining an upright stance increased reaction time compared with a seated position, indicating that quiet standing tasks required some attention even in young adults. Changes in postural steadiness were correlated with changes in reaction time, showing a significant relationship between the difficulty of the postural task and the attentional resources allocated to postural control. However, reaction time increased with the reduction of the base of support only without vision. This dual task paradigm showed that vision can compensate for the increase in attentional demands during the most difficult postural tasks.     

注意定势和刺激特征对无意视盲的影响

研究采用动态无意视盲范式,呈现3个2×2的被试间实验,考察注意定势和刺激特征对无意视盲的影响.研究结果显示,非预期刺激与注意项目的特征显著性独立于注意定势,非预期刺激与注意项目的特征相似性则基于注意定势.显著的刺激容易被觉察,但它不会总是自动地捕获注意,最重要的影响因素是观察者的注意定势.     

视觉搜索中基于工作记忆内容的注意捕获与抑制

注意是对有关信息的选择及对无关信息的抑制, 工作记忆是对有关信息的保持以及对无关信息的抑制, 两者在一定程度上都体现了选择性地指向与当前任务有关的刺激并同时抑制无关刺激。在系统地回顾已有研究的基础上结合新近的ERP研究, 从视觉搜索中基于工作记忆内容的注意捕获与注意抑制两个角度综述了视觉工作记忆与视觉选择性注意的相关研究。研究者们主要从两方面对该领域的问题进行了探讨：(1)视觉工作记忆内容对视觉选择性注意的导向作用; (2)视觉工作记忆内容对视觉选择性注意产生导向作用的条件。文章对以往的研究进行了总结, 指出了无论保持在视觉工作记忆的内容是捕获注意还是受到抑制, 都存在着自上而下和自下而上两种加工机制。     

篮球运动员视觉工作记忆对注意控制的影响

采用视觉搜索任务范式,以不同工作记忆容量的篮球运动员作为研究参与者,探讨了视觉工作记忆对自上而下注意控制的影响。结果表明,不同视觉工作记忆容量的篮球运动员的注意控制能力存在差异,高视觉工作记忆容量组的成绩略优于低视觉工作记忆容量的篮球运动员;视觉工作记忆中信息性质影响注意控制,其影响作用是通过记忆项目特征与目标项目特征相匹配的情况来实现,这个影响过程不受视觉工作记忆容量大小的调节。     

偏差声音干扰刺激对视觉注意网络系统的影响

结合注意网络测量工具和听视ODDBALL干扰范式,考察偏差声音干扰刺激的出现对注意网络系统不同功能的影响。结果发现,声音刺激序列下,视觉线索唤醒效应均消失; 标准声音刺激下,不存在线索的脱离和转移效应; 偏差声音刺激下,出现线索脱离和转移效应。研究表明,注意网络中的警觉功能具有超通道加工机制,偏差刺激下视觉注意系统中注意定向和线索转移效应的出现表明偏差干扰效应主要由偏差刺激引起的注意脱离和注意转移损耗部分引起。     

奖赏性线索启动和调控视觉搜索额顶网络的神经机制

近期关于奖赏性信息与视觉搜索任务的交互作用研究体现在两个层面, 其一是施加外部奖赏能够影响被试的视觉搜索反应时和正确率, 其二是搜索目标本身具有奖赏特性也能够影响行为反应。但是, 奖赏性信息对负责视觉搜索的额顶注意网络的动态启动和调控作用仍不清楚。本研究结合Posner空间预提示范式和视觉搜索范式, 采用快速事件相关功能磁共振成像技术, 分别操纵线索提示阶段的线索奖赏属性(奖赏性vs.非奖赏性)和线索空间注意属性(有效提示目标位置vs.无效提示目标位置), 并操纵目标搜索阶段的目标属性(奖赏性vs.非奖赏性), 探讨以下两个核心问题：(1)在线索提示阶段, 奖赏性线索产生的自上而下注意准备信号的神经基础, 以及该神经基础与传统的空间注意准备信号的异同; (2)在目标搜索阶段, 奖赏性线索对负责视觉搜索的额顶注意网络产生的启动和调控作用, 重点考察对正确的奖赏性信息的定向过程和对错误的奖赏性信息的重新定向过程。     

Visual Search for Change: A Probe into the Nature of Attentional Processing

A set of visual search experiments tested the proposal that focused attention is needed to detect change. Displays were arrays of rectangles, with the target being the item that continually changed its orientation or contrast polarity. Five aspects of performance were examined: linearity of response, processing time, capacity, selectivity, and memory trace. Detection of change was found to be a self-terminating process requiring a time that increased linearly with the number of items in the display. Capacity for orientation was found to be about five items, a value comparable to estimates of attentional capacity. Observers were able to filter out both static and dynamic variations in irrelevant properties. Analysis also indicated a memory for previously attended locations. These results support the hypothesis that the process needed to detect change is much the same as the attentional process needed to detect complex static patterns. Interestingly, the features of orientation and polarity were found to be handled in somewhat different ways. Taken together, these results not only provide evidence that focused attention is needed to see change, but also show that change detection itself can provide new insights into the nature of attentional processing.     

颜色对基于时间的视觉选择的影响

旨在探讨颜色属性对基于时间的图形预览搜索的影响及其机制。实验采用视觉标记实验范式的变式考察三种颜色的图形刺激的预览收益。结果发现:搜索与旧干扰物相同颜色的靶子和搜索新异颜色刺激并未出现反应时的差异,而且,两者都快于搜索与新干扰物颜色相同的靶子。这说明,在图形刺激的预览搜索中,观察者没有主动抑制旧干扰物的颜色,而是主动加工新出现的刺激。还探讨了基于颜色标记的抑制机制和主动非抑制机制。     

The Effect of Cane Use on Attentional Demands During Walking

We investigated the effects of cane use, lateral walking stability, and cane use practice on attentional demands during walking. Attentional demands were assessed using dual-task methodology with a reaction time (RT) task. Sixteen healthy young subjects performed the RT task during walking, before and after cane use practice under four conditions: with/without cane use while wearing normal/unstable shoes. Among normal shoe conditions, cane use resulted in longer RTs. In contrast, RTs were similar regardless of cane use in the unstable shoe conditions. Among conditions without cane use, unstable shoes resulted in longer RTs. In contrast, RTs were similar regardless of shoe type in the cane use conditions. This study suggests that using a cane during walking requires additional attention; however, the resulting attentional demands depend on walking stability.     

The Lower Visual Search Efficiency For Conjunctions Is Due To Noise and Not Serial Attentional Processing

Models of human visual processing start with an initial stage with parallel independent processing of different physical attributes or features (e.g. color, orientation, motion). A second stage in these models is a temporally serial mechanism (visual attention) that combines or binds information across feature dimensions. Evidence for this serial mechanism is based on experimental results for visual search. I conducted a study of visual search accuracy that carefully controlled for low-level effects: physical similarity of target and distractor, element eccentricity, and eye movements. The larger set-size effects in visual search accuracy for briefly flashed conjunction displays, compared with feature displays, are quantitatively predicted by a simple model in which each feature dimension is processed independently with inherent neural noise and information is combined linearly across feature dimensions. The data are not predicted by a temporally serial mechanism or by a hybrid model with temporally serial and noisy processing. The results do not support the idea that a temporally serial mechanism, visual attention, binds information across feature dimensions and show that the conjunction-feature dichotomy is due to the noisy independent processing of features in the human visual system.     

颜色知觉突显对预览效益的影响

本研究通过预览搜索范式考察靶子在颜色高突显情况下的预览效益,探讨其优先选择机制。结果发现在靶子颜色高突显的情况下,预览效益没有出现,说明预览效益的出现有其一定的条件和限制,并为基于刺激特征的抑制的解释提供了支持证据。本文还探讨了预览效益消退的可能原因。     

视野位置及刺激特征对目标搜索影响的眼动研究

在视觉搜索中,注意受多种因素的影响。本研究控制了刺激呈现的3种视野位置,旨在研究在不同视野位置上,各种因素发挥作用的情况。要求被试在4个项目中搜索某一特定的靶子,记录了反应时和多种眼动指标。结果发现,在不同的视野位置上,视觉搜索过程受目标状态和刺激特征的影响程度发生了变化。并且对形状和颜色特征的加工存在时间和加工位置上的差异。     

视觉工作记忆对自上而下注意控制的影响:发展视角的探讨

注意控制探讨个体以何种方式选择性地注意外界信息。本研究从发展角度探讨视觉工作记忆对自上而下注意控制的影响。研究采用记忆任务与视觉搜索任务相结合的范式,以小学三、四、五年级学生为被试,从视觉工作记忆中信息性质和视觉工作记忆负荷两个角度考察了视觉工作记忆对自上而下注意控制影响的发展特点。结果发现,(1)自上而下注意控制能力存在年级差异,小学五年级学生的成绩显著优于小学三年级学生;(2)视觉工作记忆内容影响自上而下注意控制,目标相关信息促进目标搜索,而目标无关信息干扰目标搜索;(3)视觉工作记忆负荷影响自上而下注意控制,高视觉工作记忆负荷条件下的反应时显著长于低视觉工作记忆负荷。     

视觉工作记忆内容对自上而下注意控制的影响：一项ERP研究

采用视觉搜索范式, 以二维抽象对称图形为材料, 通过记录\16名被试在长短两种时间间隔(ISI)条件和有效、中性、无效三种视觉工作记忆内容条件下的行为反应和事件相关电位(ERPs), 探讨视觉工作记忆内容对自上而下注意控制影响的认知过程和脑机制。结果发现：(1)无论ISI长或短, 有效信息条件(记忆图形与目标所在的背景图形相同)的反应时均显著短于无效信息条件(记忆图形与目标所在的背景图形不同)。(2)有效信息条件下的额区P2波幅显著大于中性信息条件(记忆图形不出现在搜索序列中); 枕区P1、N1波幅和潜伏期在视觉工作记忆内容条件下差异不显著; 短ISI条件下, 有效信息条件下的枕区P300波幅显著大于无效信息条件; 长ISI条件下, 有效信息条件的枕区P300波幅显著小于无效信息条件。表明当目标出现在与记忆内容相匹配的客体中时, 激活了工作记忆中的客体表征, 以自上而下的方式优先捕获注意; 同时ISI变化对此过程起着调节作用。     

线索靶子关联和搜索策略对注意捕获的作用

采用线索化范式, 通过实验任务设计线索与靶子不同的关联并鼓励被试采用不同的搜索策略, 探讨线索与靶子间的知觉关联、语义关联及特征独子检测模式、特征搜索模式对注意捕获的作用。通过线索无效条件和线索有效条件反应时之差判断每一条件下的捕获量, 并综合各条件的反应情况做出结论如下：(1)线索与靶子的知觉关联调控注意捕获, 其效应不受语义关联和搜索策略影响; (2)线索与靶子的语义关联只在排除知觉关联后调控注意捕获; (3)控制知觉关联和语义关联后, 特征搜索模式不影响注意捕获, 而特征独子检测模式对注意捕获有影响。这表明语义知识和知觉经验根据当前任务要求共同作用指导个体的视觉加工, 表现了人类加工系统的灵活性和可调节性。     

刺激范畴的激活与抑制对预搜索的影响

考察范畴混合与预知靶子范畴对预搜索的影响。以2到9的汉字与阿拉伯数字为范畴材料,以搜索一个靶子数字（三、七、3或7）为任务,以预搜索为实验范式。在一些条件下,被试预知靶子的范畴,其它条件下则无法预知靶子的范畴。结果表明：（1）预知靶子范畴可以改进搜索;（2）当靶子与旧客体的范畴相同时,上述预期效应就会减弱;（3）当靶子与旧客体的范畴不同时,范畴预期效应又增加了。最后讨论了实验结果的理论意义