An ERP study on self-relevant object recognition.
We performed an event-related potential study to investigate the self-relevance effect in object recognition. Three stimulus categories were prepared: SELF (participant's own objects), FAMILIAR (disposable and public objects, defined as objects with less-self-relevant familiarity), and UNFAMILIAR (others' objects). The participants' task was to watch the stimuli passively. Results showed that left-lateralized N250 activity differentiated SELF and FAMILIAR from UNFAMILIAR, but SELF and FAMILIAR were not differentiated. In the later time-course, SELF was dissociated from FAMILIAR, indicating the self-relevance effect in object recognition at this stage. This activity did not show consistent lateralization, in contrast to previous studies reporting right lateralization in self-relevant face and name recognition. We concluded that in object recognition, self-relevance was processed by higher-order cognitive functions later than 300ms after stimulus onset.
Miyakoshi
Makoto
M
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan. s050317d@mbox.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Nomura
Michio
M
Ohira
Hideki
H
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009275:Names; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012649:Self Concept