Attentional blink

About: Attentional blink is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1346 publications have been published within this topic receiving 53064 citations. The topic is also known as: Attentional blinks.

Decoding Information Processing When Attention Fails: An Electrophysiological Approach

Abstract: The success of the attentional system in keeping people “on task” in dynamic environments arises from the coordinated operation of multiple neural networks. performance can occur. Here, we investigated the neural bases of attentional failuAlthough this coordinated effort is often successful, errors in res using computational techniques combined with high temporal resolution measures of brain activity using EEG. Attentional failures were induced by presenting two masked targets in rapid succession. In this task, correct identification of the first (T1) leads to impaired identification of the second (T2), a performance failure known as the attentional blink (AB). We applied linear pattern classification algorithms to measures of neural activity acquired during the AB to investigate two key issues about the temporal dynamics of visual attention. First, we tested whether the computational approaches would accurately discriminate the stimulus presented to the observer independent of behavior. Second, we tested whether our computational approaches could predict when the observer would make an error. Our analyses revealed that single-trial EEG activity could be used to not only predict the type of stimulus presented to the observer, but also to predict performance errors. These results are consistent with the notion that the brain represents information about the type of stimuli presented to observers and suggest that computational approaches may be used to provide a moment-by-moment analysis of an observer’s attentional state.

Stimulus localization interferes with stimulus recognition: Evidence from an attentional blink paradigm

Abstract: Recognition of a second target (T2) can be impaired if presented within 500 ms after a first target (T1): This interference phenomenon is called the attentional blink (AB; e.g., Raymond, Shapiro, & Arnell, 1992) and can be viewed as emerging from limitations in the allocation of visual attention (VA) over time. AB tasks typically require participants to detect or identify targets based on their visual properties, i.e., pattern recognition. However, no study so far has investigated whether an AB for pattern recognition of T2 can be elicited if T1 implies a second major function of the visual system, i.e., spatial computations. Therefore, we tested in two experiments whether localization of a peripherally presented dot (T1) interferes with the identification of a trailing centrally presented letter T2. For Experiment 1, T2 performance increased with onset asynchrony of both targets in single-task (only report letter) and dual-task conditions. Besides this task-independent T2 deficit, task-dependent interference (difference between single- and dual-task conditions) was observed in Experiment 2, when T1 was followed by location distractors. Overall, our results indicate that limitations in the allocation of VA over time (i.e., an AB) can also be found if T1 requires localization while T2 requires the standard pattern recognition task. The results are interpreted on the basis of a common temporal attentional mechanism for pattern recognition and spatial computations.

What factors influence the switch from unitary to divided attention

Abstract: The focus of attention can be either unitary or divided and can transition from unitary to divided while performing a task. In Experiment 1, we investigated whether alerting hastens the transition from unitary to divided attention. To this end, we employed a dual-RSVP-stream Attentional Blink task (AB; impaired perception of the second of two rapidly sequential targets) with two pairs of letter targets (T1-pair and T2-pair). One component of the AB known as Lag-1 sparing (unimpaired perception of the T2-pair when it is presented directly after the T1-pair) occurs only when the T2-pair falls in an attended location. When the T2-pair falls in an unattended location, the converse pattern occurs (Lag-1 deficit). Accordingly, we used the incidence of Lag-1 sparing/deficit to index whether a location was attended or unattended. We found that presenting a brief brightening flash of the screen (alerting) just before the T1-pair hastened the transition from the initial unitary focus to a divided focus. In Experiment 2, we pitted the hastening account against an alternative hypothesis that the flash triggers phasic activation of the Locus Coeruleus-norepinephrine neuromodulatory system, thus resetting the underlying neural networks that mediate the distribution of attention, triggering a switch from unitary to divided attention. The results of Experiment 2 were incompatible with the hastening account, but consistent with the network-reset account.

Task set flexibility and feature specificity modulate the limits of temporal attention

Abstract: The consequences of maintaining a task set in the context of the (speeded) attentional blink were investigated in a series of experiments. Observers were asked to either attend or ignore the first of two target stimuli (T1 and T2). The results showed that when T1 and T2 shared a task relevant feature that was unique to T2, but not to T1, a shallow attentional blink was observed, as well as a lack of Lag 1 sparing. In comparison, when the targets shared a feature that was uniquely task relevant to both targets, the blink could not be avoided. Conversely, when no feature was shared between targets, ignoring T1 was successful and virtually no attentional costs were apparent. A similar lack of costs was also observed when targets shared a task relevant feature that was unique to T1 but not to T2. Finally, matching the feature dimension of a target feature that was unique to T2, but not T1, also strongly attenuated the blink. However, it did not completely abolish Lag 1 sparing. The results are interpreted in the context of current models of the attentional blink.

Tracing Subliminal Memory Traces

Abstract: This study aims to explore subliminally encoded memory traces over time in an Attentional Blink (AB) paradigm. The AB paradigm consisted of a Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) of numbers am ...