title: Visuospatial perceptual sequence learning and eye movements.
abstract: We examined perceptual sequence learning by means of an adapted serial reaction time task in which eye movements were unnecessary for performing the sequence learning task. Participants had to respond to the identity of a target letter pair ("OX" or "XO") appearing in one of four locations. On the other locations, similar distractor letter pairs ("QY" or "YQ") were shown. While target identity changed randomly, target location was structured according to a deterministic sequence. To render eye movements superfluous, (1) stimulus letter pairs appeared around a fixation cross with a visual angle of 0.63°, which means that they appeared within the foveal visual area and (2) the letter pairs were presented for only 100 ms, a period too short to allow proper eye movements. Reliable sequence knowledge was acquired under these conditions, as responses were both slower and less accurate when the trained sequence was replaced by an untrained sequence. These results support the notion that perceptual sequence learning can be based on shifts of attention without overt oculomotor movements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. daphne.coomans@vub.ac.be
authors.forename: Daphné
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coomans
authors.forename: Natacha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Deroost
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vandenbossche
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van den Bussche
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soetens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012691:Serial Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult