title: Interrelation of attention and prediction in visual processing: Effects of task-relevance and stimulus probability.
abstract: The potentially interactive influence of attention and prediction was investigated by measuring event-related potentials (ERPs) in a spatial cueing task with attention (task-relevant) and prediction (probabilistic) cues. We identified distinct processing stages of this interactive influence. Firstly, in line with the attentional gain hypothesis, a larger amplitude response of the contralateral N1, and Nd1 for attended gratings was observed. Secondly, conforming to the attenuation-by-prediction hypothesis, a smaller negativity in the time window directly following the peak of the N1 component for predicted compared to unpredicted gratings was observed. In line with the hypothesis that attention and prediction interface, unpredicted/unattended stimuli elicited a larger negativity at central-parietal sites, presumably reflecting an increased prediction error signal. Thirdly, larger P3 responses to unpredicted stimuli pointed to the updating of an internal model. Attention and prediction can be considered as differentiated mechanisms that may interact at different processing stages to optimise perception.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Neumarkt 9-19, 04109 Leipzig, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1A, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: anna.marzecova@uni-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marzecová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Neumarkt 9-19, 04109 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Widmann
authors.affiliation: Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Dept. of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Recerca Pediàtrica Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Iria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: SanMiguel
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1A, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sonja A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kotz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Neumarkt 9-19, 04109 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schröger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D011930:Reaction Time; D013998:Time Perception / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attention; ERP; Prediction; Predictive coding; Sensory gain; Visual perception; vMMN