Abstract The present study shows that an abrupt onset cue is not consciously perceived can cause attentional facilitation followed by inhibition at the cued location. observation of this classic biphasic effect return (IOR) suggests subliminal captured attention in a purely exogenous way. Since IOR observed following endogenous shifts spatial attention, but exogenous, stimulus-driven it unlikely top-down control settings or other non-attentional effects played role. current findings are...

In this study, we investigated the time course of oculomotor competition between bottom-up and top-down selection processes using saccade trajectory deviations as a dependent measure. We used paradigm in which manipulated latency by offsetting fixation point at different points relative to target onset. experiment 1, observers made filled colored circle while another irrelevant distractor was presented. The either similar (i.e., identical) or dissimilar target. Results showed that strength...

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the occipital pole can produce an illusory percept of a light flash (or 'phosphene'), suggesting excitatory effect. Whereas previous reported effects produced by single-pulse TMS are typically disruptive, here we report first demonstration location-specific facilitatory effect on visual perception in humans. Observers performed spatial cueing orientation discrimination task. An target was presented one two peripheral placeholders. A single pulse...

During early visual processing the eyes can be captured by salient information in environment. Whether a stimulus captures purely automatic, bottom-up fashion or whether capture is contingent on task demands still under debate. In first experiment, we manipulated relevance of onset distractor. The distractor could either similar dissimilar to target. Error saccade latency distributions showed that time, oculomotor was driven irrespective similarity. Later top-down became available resulting...

Eye movements reflect the dynamic interplay between top-down and bottom-up driven processes.For example, when we voluntarily move our eyes across visual field, salient stimuli in environment may capture attention, eyes, or modulate trajectory of an eye movement.Previous research showed that behavioral relevance a stimulus modulates these processes.The current study investigates whether signaling aversive event saccadic behavior.Using differential fear conditioning procedure, presented...

In the emotional spatial cueing task, a peripheral cue--either or non-emotional--is presented before target onset. A stronger cue validity effect with an relative to non-emotional (i.e., more efficient responding validly cued targets invalidly targets) is taken as indication of modulation attentional processes. However, results from previous studies are not consistent. Some find at location (shorter reaction times compared cue), whereas other (longer cue). current paper, we explore which...

The right posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is implicated in spatial attention, but its specific role emotional attention remains unclear. In this study, we combined inhibitory transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with a fear-conditioning paradigm to test the of PPC attentional control task-irrelevant threatening distractors. sham-controlled within-subject design, 1-Hz repetitive TMS was applied left and after which participants performed visual search task distractor that either associated...

Previous research has shown that the extent to which people spread attention across visual field plays a crucial role in selection and occurrence of bottom-up driven attentional capture. Consistent with previous findings, we show when was diffusely distributed while searching for shape singleton, an irrelevant salient color singleton captured attention. However, using very same displays task, no capture observed observers initially focused their at center display. Using event-related fMRI,...

Attention can be focused and shifted voluntary, but attention also captured by salient stimuli in the environment. For example, exogenous cueing experiments typically an abrupt onset presented periphery will capture automatically. Because of this reflexive shift attention, targets that follow immediately after cue at same location are more efficiently processed. Contrary to facilitation effect, less efficient processing target is manifested cued when time between offset delayed. Here we show...

Reorientation of attention to threatening stimuli is a fundamental part human cognition. Such interaction between cognitive and affective processes often associated with faster response times. In the present study role right angular gyrus (AG) in reorienting threat examined. An exogenous spatial cueing paradigm was adopted non-threatening targets. Threat induced by means differential fear conditioning target. Single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied AG at different...

Abstract As social animals, humans tend to voluntarily engage in pro-social behavior prevent harm others. However, what extent prosocial can be reflected at the level of less voluntary cognitive processes remains unclear. Here, we examined how threat others modulates exogenous attention. Fifty-four participants performed an spatial cueing task where participant’s performance determined whether electric shocks would delivered either themselves or their anonymous co-participant. Threat shock...

Research on emotional modulation of attention in gaze cueing has resulted contradictory findings. Some studies found larger effects (GCEs) response to a fearful cue, whereas others did not. A recent study explained this discrepancy within cognitive resource account, which perceptual demands the task promote bias toward either local (discrimination task) or global (localization processing strategy. During processing, integration expression with direction is assumed be impaired, during...

As social animals, humans tend to voluntarily engage in pro-social behavior prevent harm others. However, what extent prosocial can be reflected at the level of less voluntary cognitive processes remains unclear. Here, we examined how threat others modulates exogenous attention. Fifty-four participants performed an spatial cueing task where participant’s performance determined whether electric shocks would delivered either themselves or their anonymous co-participant. Threat shock...