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Dolci C, Rashal E, Santandrea E, Ben Hamed S, Chelazzi L, Macaluso E, Boehler CN. The dynamics of statistical learning in visual search and its interaction with salience processing: An EEG study. Neuroimage 2024; 286:120514. [PMID: 38211706 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Visual attention can be guided by statistical regularities in the environment, that people implicitly learn from past experiences (statistical learning, SL). Moreover, a perceptually salient element can automatically capture attention, gaining processing priority through a bottom-up attentional control mechanism. The aim of our study was to investigate the dynamics of SL and if it shapes attentional target selection additively with salience processing, or whether these mechanisms interact, e.g. one gates the other. In a visual search task, we therefore manipulated target frequency (high vs. low) across locations while, in some trials, the target was salient in terms of colour. Additionally, halfway through the experiment, the high-frequency location changed to the opposite hemifield. EEG activity was simultaneously recorded, with a specific interest in two markers related to target selection and post-selection processing, respectively: N2pc and SPCN. Our results revealed that both SL and saliency significantly enhanced behavioural performance, but also interacted with each other, with an attenuated saliency effect at the high-frequency target location, and a smaller SL effect for salient targets. Concerning processing dynamics, the benefit of salience processing was more evident during the early stage of target selection and processing, as indexed by a larger N2pc and early-SPCN, whereas SL modulated the underlying neural activity particularly later on, as revealed by larger late-SPCN. Furthermore, we showed that SL was rapidly acquired and adjusted when the spatial imbalance changed. Overall, our findings suggest that SL is flexible to changes and, combined with salience processing, jointly contributes to establishing attentional priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Dolci
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie, 8, Verona 37134, Italy.
| | - Einat Rashal
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; School of Psychology, Keele University, United Kingdom
| | - Elisa Santandrea
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie, 8, Verona 37134, Italy
| | - Suliann Ben Hamed
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc-Jeannerod, UMR5229, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon, 1, Lyon, France
| | - Leonardo Chelazzi
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie, 8, Verona 37134, Italy
| | - Emiliano Macaluso
- CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, (CRNL), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, U1028 UMR5292, IMPACT, Bron F-69500, France
| | - C Nico Boehler
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Dolci C, Boehler CN, Santandrea E, Dewulf A, Ben-Hamed S, Macaluso E, Chelazzi L, Rashal E. Integrated effects of top-down attention and statistical learning during visual search: An EEG study. Atten Percept Psychophys 2023; 85:1819-1833. [PMID: 37264294 PMCID: PMC10545573 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02728-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The present study aims to investigate how the competition between visual elements is solved by top-down and/or statistical learning (SL) attentional control (AC) mechanisms when active together. We hypothesized that the "winner" element that will undergo further processing is selected either by one AC mechanism that prevails over the other, or by the joint activity of both mechanisms. To test these hypotheses, we conducted a visual search experiment that combined an endogenous cueing protocol (valid vs. neutral cue) and an imbalance of target frequency distribution across locations (high- vs. low-frequency location). The unique and combined effects of top-down control and SL mechanisms were measured on behaviour and amplitudes of three evoked-response potential (ERP) components (i.e., N2pc, P1, CNV) related to attentional processing. Our behavioural results showed better performance for validly cued targets and for targets in the high-frequency location. The two factors were found to interact, so that SL effects emerged only in the absence of top-down guidance. Whereas the CNV and P1 only displayed a main effect of cueing, for the N2pc we observed an interaction between cueing and SL, revealing a cueing effect for targets in the low-frequency condition, but not in the high-frequency condition. Thus, our data support the view that top-down control and SL work in a conjoint, integrated manner during target selection. In particular, SL mechanisms are reduced or even absent when a fully reliable top-down guidance of attention is at play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Dolci
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine, and Movement Science, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie, 8, 37134, Verona, Italy.
| | - C Nico Boehler
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Elisa Santandrea
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine, and Movement Science, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie, 8, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Anneleen Dewulf
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Leonardo Chelazzi
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine, and Movement Science, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie, 8, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Einat Rashal
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Dolci C, Rashal E, Baldini E, Ben-Hamed S, Macaluso E, Chelazzi L, Boehler CN, Santandrea E. Integrated effect of goal-directed and experience-dependent on attentional deployment. J Vis 2022. [DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.14.3417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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Rashal E, Senoussi M, Santandrea E, Ben‐Hamed S, Macaluso E, Chelazzi L, Boehler CN. An EEG study of the combined effects of top‐down and bottom‐up attentional selection under varying task difficulty. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14002. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Einat Rashal
- Department of Experimental Psychology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Mehdi Senoussi
- Department of Experimental Psychology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Elisa Santandrea
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences University of Verona Verona Italy
| | | | | | - Leonardo Chelazzi
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences University of Verona Verona Italy
| | - C. Nico Boehler
- Department of Experimental Psychology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
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Rashal E, Senoussi M, Santandrea E, Ben-Hamed S, Macaluso E, Chelazzi L, Boehler N. Integrating top-down and bottom-up attention control factors: an EEG study. J Vis 2021. [DOI: 10.1167/jov.21.9.2565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Abstract
The Ebbinghaus illusion is argued to be a product of low-level contour interactions or a higher cognitive comparison process. We examined the effect of grouping on the illusion by manipulating objecthood, i.e., the degree to which an object is a cohesive perceptual entity. We hypothesized that reduced objecthood would decrease the illusion magnitude, because the objects become less efficient in the comparison process. To test this hypothesis, we used a version of the illusion where the target and flanking objects were squares that were composed from their corners or sides. Degree of objecthood was manipulated by changing the gap size or rotation angle of the elements constructing the objects, so that larger gaps and angles produced less cohesive objects than smaller. Participants performed an adjustment procedure on the test target to match a control target in size. In addition, subjective reports of the objects' shape were collected as a measure of perceived shape. Our results show decreased illusion magnitude with increasing gap size and rotation angle. Surprisingly, the perceived shape of the objects did not correlate with illusion magnitude. These results provide novel evidence of the role of mid-level processes in the Ebbinghaus illusion and point to a dissociation between subjective and objective measures of objecthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Einat Rashal
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
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Rashal E, Herzog M. The mechanism underlying the competition between grouping organizations. J Vis 2017. [DOI: 10.1167/17.10.164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Einat Rashal
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
| | - Michael Herzog
- Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
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Abstract
Spatial crowding refers to impaired target identification when the target is surrounded by other stimuli in space temporal crowding refers to impaired target identification when the target is surrounded by other stimuli in time previously, when spatial and temporal crowding were measured in the fovea they were interrelated with amblyopic observers but almost absent with normal observers bonneh, sagi, & polat, 2007. In the current study we examined whether reliable temporal crowding can be found for normal observers with peripheral presentation 9° of eccentricity, and whether similar relations between temporal and spatial crowding will emerge to that end, we presented a sequence of three displays separated by a varying interstimulus interval (ISI). Each display included either one letter : experiments 1a ,: 1b ,: 1c or three letters separated by a varying interletter spacing: Experiments 2a ,: 2b). One of these displays included an oriented T. Observers indicated the T's orientation. As expected, we found spatial crowding: accuracy improved as the interletter spacing increased. Critically, we also found temporal crowding: in all experiments accuracy increased as the ISI increased, even when only stimulus-onset asynchronies (SOAs) larger than 150 ms were included, ensuring this effect does not reflect mere ordinary masking. Thus, with peripheral presentation, temporal crowding also emerged for normal observers. However, only a weak interaction between temporal and spatial crowding was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaffa Yeshurun
- Department of Psychology and Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Einat Rashal
- Department of Psychology and Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shira Tkacz-Domb
- Department of Psychology and Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Abstract
Previous studies have shown crowding alleviation when target and flankers similarity is reduced. However, in the case of contrast dissimilarity, the findings were inconsistent. This study examined the effect of stimulus contrast, particularly contrast dissimilarity, on both overall performance under crowded conditions and the critical distance-the spatial extent of crowding. To this end, we measured orientation identification of a rotated T presented with and without flankers. Target contrast was either the same as the flankers or different: higher in Experiment 1 and lower in Experiment 2. Experiment 3 investigated the hypothesis that higher target contrast reduces crowding through attraction of attention to the salient target. Thus, this experiment included orthogonal manipulations of transient attention, via attentional precues, and contrast. The results show reduced crowding effects-better performance and smaller critical distance-when target contrast was higher than its flankers and increased crowding effects when target contrast was lower. In addition, the effects of attention did not interact with those of contrast, suggesting that the effect of high target contrast is not solely due to attraction of attention. Our results suggest that contrast dissimilarity effects reflect a differential contribution of the target and flankers to the faulty integration process underlying crowding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Einat Rashal
- Department of Psychology & Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yaffa Yeshurun
- Department of Psychology & Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Tkacz-Domb S, Rashal E, Yeshurun Y. Spatial and temporal crowding with normal observers. J Vis 2014. [DOI: 10.1167/14.10.778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Rashal E, Yeshurun Y, Kimchi R. Can a competition between grouping principles be resolved without attention? J Vis 2014. [DOI: 10.1167/14.10.805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Rashal E, Kimchi R, Yeshurun Y. Competition Between Grouping Principles. J Vis 2013. [DOI: 10.1167/13.9.823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Rashal E, Yeshurun Y. The effects of transient attention and target contrast on crowding at different eccentricities. J Vis 2010. [DOI: 10.1167/9.8.994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Rashal E, Yeshurun Y. The effects of transient attention and target contrast on crowding at different eccentricities. J Vis 2010. [DOI: 10.1167/9.8.993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Rashal E, Yeshurun Y. Temporal crowding with normal observers and its interplay with spatial crowding. J Vis 2010. [DOI: 10.1167/10.7.1343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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