Attention and short-term memory in contrast detection.
Low-contrast visual stimuli have been found to produce a memory trace, enhancing subsequent target detection for as much as 16 s. Here we show that the memory trace depends on dynamic interactions between low-level stimulus properties and a higher-level gating process. Detection of vertical targets (Gabor signals) was enhanced by preceding vertical Gabor primes, but suppressed by preceding tilted primes--pointing to a competitive process of dynamic resource allocation. The priming effect was also dependent on a temporal cue, activating a sensory gating process with maximal effect at 300-500 ms delay. The results suggest a two-step process in which attention affects transition between perception and memory: a non-selective gating process followed by competition between overlapping representations.
Tanaka
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Y
Department of Neurobiology, Brain Research, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Sagi
D
D
D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D006801:Humans; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011601:Psychophysics; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology