Elsevier

Vision Research

Volume 38, Issue 19, October 1998, Pages 2863-2867
Vision Research

Rapid communication
Priming reveals attentional modulation of human motion sensitivity

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0042-6989(98)00145-XGet rights and content
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Abstract

Although recent fMRI and single unit recording studies have shown that attention modulates neural activity in motion sensitive areas of extrastriate cortex, these approaches cannot reveal qualitative or quantitative effects of attention on perception of motion. To investigate this, we asked observers to select one of two orthogonal directions in a brief, transparent dot display (prime) and then measured their sensitivity to global directional motion in a second uni-directional dot display (probe) presented a short time later. When probe direction matched the attended prime direction, sensitivity was degraded. But, when probe direction matched the ignored prime direction, sensitivity was enhanced, even though both components were of equal physical strength. Sensitivity was unchanged for directions opposite to either previously seen direction. Neither sensory adaptation nor opponent direction mechanisms can account for these data. Rather, processes initiated by visual selection must underlie these dramatic changes in motion sensitivity.

Keywords

Motion perception
Attention
Adaptation
Priming

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