Abstract
Presenting a masked prime leading a target influences the perceived onset of the masking target (perceptual latency priming; Scharlau & Neumann, in press). This priming effect is explained by the asynchronous updating model (Neumann, 1982; Scharlau & Neumann, in press): The prime initiates attentional allocation toward its location, which renders a trailing target at the same place consciously available earlier. In three experiments, this perceptual latency priming by leading primes was examined jointly with the effects of trailing primes in order to compare the explanation of the asynchronous updating model with the onset-averaging and the P-center hypotheses. Experiment 1 showed that an attended, as well as an unattended, prime leads to perceptual latency priming. In addition, a large effect of trailing primes on the onset of a target was found. As Experiment 2 demonstrated, this effect is quite robust, although smaller than that of a leading prime. In Experiment 3, masked primes were used. Under these conditions, no influence of trailing primes could be found, whereas perceptual latency priming persisted. Thus, a nonattentional explanation for the effect of trailing primes seems likely.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alpern, M. (1953). Metacontrast.Journal of the Optical Society of America,43, 648–657.
Ansorge, U., Klotz, W., &Neumann, O. (1998). Manual and verbal responses to completely masked (unreportable) stimuli: Exploring some conditions for the metacontrast dissociation.Perception,27, 1177–1189.
Aschersleben, G. (1999).Aufgabenabhängige Datierung von Ereignissen [Task-dependent timing of events]. Aachen: Shaker Verlag.
Aschersleben, G., &Müsseler, J. (1999). Dissociations in the timing of stationary and moving stimuli.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,25, 1–12.
Aschersleben, G., &Müsseler, J. (2000). Datierung visueller Reize bei einer raum-zeitlichen Wahrnehmungstäuschung (Kappa-Effekt) [Timing of visual stimuli in a spatio-temporal perceptual illusion (the Kappa effect)]. In G. Baratoff & H. Neumann (Eds.),Dynamische Perzeption (pp. 163–166). Sankt Augustin: Infix.
Aschersleben G., &Prinz, W. (1995). Synchronizing actions with events: The role of sensory information.Perception & Psychophysics,57, 305–317.
Bachmann, T. (1984). The process of perceptual retouch: Nonspecific afferent activation dynamics in explaining visual masking.Perception & Psychophysics,35, 69–84.
Bachmann, T. (1989). Microgenesis as traced by the transient pairedforms paradigm.Acta Psychologica,70, 3–17.
Bachmann, T. (1994).Psychophysiology of visual masking: The fine structure of conscious experience. Commack, NY: Nova.
Bachmann, T. (1999). Twelve spatiotemporal phenomena and one explanation. In G. Aschersleben, T. Bachmann, & J. Müsseler (Eds.),Cognitive contributions to the perception of spatial and temporal events: Advances in psychology (pp. 173–206). Amsterdam: Elsevier, North-Holland.
Bar, M., &Biederman, I. (1998). Subliminal visual priming.Psychological Science,9, 464–469.
Breitmeyer, B. G. (1984).Visual masking: An integrative approach. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Breitmeyer, B. G., &Ganz, L. (1976). Implications of sustained and transient channels for theories of visual pattern masking, saccadic suppression, and information processing.Psychological Review,83, 1–36.
Breitmeyer, B. G., &Ogmen, H. (2000). Recent models and findings in visual backward masking: A comparison, review, and update.Perception & Psychophysics,62, 1572–1595.
Carbone, E. (2001).Die Rolle von Aufmerksamkeitsprozessen bei der Fehlwahrnehmung dynamischer Reize [The role of attention in misperception of dynamic stimuli]. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Bielefeld.
Di Lollo, V., Enns, J. T., &Rensink, R. A. (2000). Competition for consciousness among visual events: The psychophysics of reentrant visual processes.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General,129, 481–507.
Enns, J. T., &Di Lollo, V. (1997). Object substitution: A new form of masking in unattended visual locations.Psychological Science,8, 135–139.
Enns, J. T., &Rensink, R. A. (1991). Preattentive recovery of threedimensional orientation from line drawings.Psychological Review,98, 335–351.
Eriksen, C. W., &Collins, J. F. (1969). Temporal course of selective attention.Journal of Experimental Psychology,80, 254–261.
Eriksen, C. W., &Rohrbaugh, J. W. (1970). Some factors determining efficiency of selective attention.American Journal of Psychology,83, 330–342.
Finney, D. J. (1971).Probit analysis (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Fraisse, P. (1971). Parameters of visual simultaneity and of metacontrast and paracontrast of successively presented letters.Perception & Psychophysics,10, 185–188.
Frey, R. D. (1990). Selective attention, event perception, and the criterion of acceptability principle: Evidence supporting and rejecting the doctrine of prior entry.Human Movement Science,9, 481–530.
Gibson, B. S., &Egeth, H. (1994). Inhibition and disinhibition of return: Evidence from temporal order judgments.Perception & Psychophysics,56, 669–680.
Haber, R. N., &Hershenson, M. (1965). Effects of repeated brief exposures on the growth of a percept.Journal of Experimental Psychology,69, 40–46.
Hays, W. L. (1988).Statistics (4th ed.). Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Hershenson, M., &Haber, R. N. (1965). The role of meaning in the perception of briefly exposed words.Canadian Journal of Psychology,19, 42–46.
Heumann, M., & Scharlau, I. (2001, August).Judgment vs. response. Poster presented at the summer workshop, “Sensorimotor Integration,” Delmenhorst, Germany.
Jaskowski, P. (1991). Perceived onset simultaneity of stimuli with unequal durations.Perception,20, 715–726.
Jaskowski, P. (1993). Temporal-order judgment and reaction time to stimuli of different rise times.Perception,22, 963–970.
Kahneman, D. (1968). Method, findings, and theory in studies of visual masking.Psychological Bulletin,70, 404–425.
King, H. E. (1962). Two-flash and flicker fusion thresholds for normal and schizophrenic subjects.Perceptual & Motor Skills,14, 517–518.
Klotz, W. (1996).Handlungssteuerung ohne bewußte Wahrnehmung: Eine experimentelle Untersuchung zur motorischen Verarbeitung visuell maskierter Reize [Action control without conscious perception: An experimental study of motor processing of visually masked stimuli]. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Bielefeld.
Klotz, W., &Neumann, O. (1999). Motor activation without conscious discrimination in metacontrast masking.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,25, 976–992.
Lefton, L. A. (1973). Metacontrast: A review.Psychonomic Monograph Supplements,4 (Whole No. 62), 245–255.
Morton, J., Marcus, S., &Frankish, C. (1976). Perceptual centers (Pcenters).Psychological Review,83, 405–408.
Müller, H. J., &Findlay, J. M. (1987). Sensitivity and criterion effects in the spatial cuing of visual attention.Perception & Psychophysics,42, 383–399.
Müller, H. J., &Findlay, J. M. (1988). The effect of visual attention on peripheral discrimination thresholds in single and multiple element displays.Acta Psychologica,69, 129–155.
Müller, H. J., &Rabbitt, P. M. A. (1989). Reflexive and voluntary orienting of visual attention: Time course of activation and resistance to interruption.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,15, 315–330.
Müsseler, J., &Aschersleben, G. (1998). Localizing the first position of a moving stimulus: The Fröhlich effect and an attention-shifting explanation.Perception & Psychophysics,60, 683–695.
Nakayama, K., &Mackeben, M. (1989). Sustained and transient components of focal visual attention.Vision Research,29, 1631–1647.
Neumann, O. (1978).Visuelle Aufmerksamkeit und der Mechanismus des Metakontrasts [Visual attention and the mechanism of metacontrast] (Rep. No. 6/1978). Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, Department of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit.
Neumann, O. (1979).Kann ein nicht bewußt repräsentierter Reiz eine Willkürbewegung auslösen? Zur Interpretation des Fehrer-Raab-Effektes [Is a nonconscious stimulus able to initiate a voluntary action? On the Fehrer-Raab effect]. In P.Wolff & M. Tücke (Eds.), Report on the 3rd Psychology Meeting in Osnabrück, Germany, October 1979, Psychological reports from Department 3, Osnabrück University.
Neumann, O. (1982). Experimente zum Fehrer-Raab-Effekt und das “Wetterwart”- Modell der visuellen Maskierung [Experiments on the Fehrer-Raab effect and the “weather station” model of visual masking] (Rep. No. 24/1982). Bochum, Germany: Ruhr-University Bochum, Department of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit.
Neumann, O. (1990). Visual attention and action. In O. Neumann & W. Prinz (Eds.),Relationships between perception and action: Current approaches (pp. 227–267). Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Neumann, O., Esselmann, U., &Klotz, W. (1993). Differential effects of visual-spatial attention on response latency and temporal order judgment.Psychological Research,56, 26–34.
Neumann, O., &Müsseler, J. (1990a). “Judgment” vs. “response”: A general problem and some experimental illustrations. In H.-G. Geißler (Ed.),Psychophysical explorations of mental structures (pp. 445–455). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Neumann, O., &Müsseler, J. (1990b). Visuelles Fokussieren: Das Wetterwart-Modell und einige seiner Anwendungen [Visual focusing: The weather station model and some applications]. In C.Meinecke & L. Kehrer (Eds.),Bielefelder Beiträge zur Kognitionspsychologie (pp. 77–108). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Posner, M. I. (1980). Orienting of attention.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,32, 3–25.
Posner, M. I., &Cohen, Y. (1984). Components of visual orienting. In H. Bouma & D. G. Bouwhuis (Eds.),Attention and performance X: Control of language processes (pp. 531–556). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Posner, M. I., Snyder, C. R. R., &Davidson, B. J. (1980). Attention and the detection of signals.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General,109, 160–174.
Rensink, R. A., O’Regan, J. K., &Clark, J. J. (1997). To see or not to see: The need for attention to perceive changes in scenes.Psychological Science,8, 368–373.
Reuter-Lorenz, P. A., Jha, A. P., &Rosenquist, J. N. (1996). What is inhibited in inhibition of return?Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,22, 367–378.
Scharlau, I., & Neumann, O. (in press). Perceptual latency priming by metacontrast-masked stimuli: Evidence for an attentional interpretation.Psychological Research.
Schlaghecken, F., &Eimer, M. (1997). The influence of subliminally presented primes on response preparation.Sprache & Kognition,16, 166–175.
Schlaghecken, F., &Eimer, M. (2000). A central-peripheral asymmetry in masked priming.Perception & Psychophysics,62, 1367–1382.
Schmidt, T. (2000). Visual perception without awareness: Priming responses by color. In T. Metzinger (Ed.),Neural correlates of consciousness: Empirical and conceptual questions (pp. 157–189). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Schütte, H. (1978). Ein Funktionsschema für die Wahrnehmung eines gleichmäßigen Rhythmus in Schallimpulsfolgen [A functional scheme for perception of regular rhythms in sound sequences].Biological Cybernetics,29, 49–55.
Scott, S. K. (1998). The point of P-centers.Psychological Research,61, 4–11.
Shore, D. I., Spence, C., &Klein, R. M. (2001). Visual prior entry.Psychological Science,12, 205–212.
Sperling, G., &Reeves, A. (1980), Measuring the reaction time of a shift of visual attention. In R. S. Nickerson (Ed.),Attention and performance VIII (pp. 347–360). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Steglich, C., &Neumann, O. (2000). Temporal, but not spatial, context modulates a masked prime’s effect on temporal order judgment, but not on response latency.Psychological Research/Psychologische Forschung,63, 36–47.
Suzuki, S., &Cavanagh, P. (1997). Focused attention distorts visual space. An attentional repulsion effect.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,23, 443–463.
Terhardt, E., &Schütte, H. (1976). Akustische Rhythmus-Wahrnehmung: Subjektive Gleichmäßigkeit [Acoustical rhythm perception: Subjective regularity].Acustica,35, 122–126.
Treisman, A. (1986). Properties, parts and objects. In K. R. Boff, L. Kaufmann, & J. P. Thomas (Eds.),Handbook of perception and human performance (pp. 1–70). New York: Wiley.
Tsal, Y. (1983). Movements of attention across the visual field.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,9, 523–530.
Vorberg, D., Mattler, U., Heinecke, A., Schmidt, T., & Schwarzbach, J. (in press). Invariant time-course of priming with and without awareness. In C. Kaernbach, E. Schröger, & H. J. Müller (Eds.),Psychophysics beyond sensation: Laws and invariants of human cognition. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Vos, P. G., Mates, J., &van Kruysbergen, N. W. (1995). The perceptual center of a stimulus as the cue for synchronisation to a metronome: Evidence from asynchronies.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,48A, 1024–1040.
Wiggs, C. L., &Martin, A. (1998). Properties and mechanisms of perceptual priming.Current Opinion in Neurobiology,8, 227–233.
Wolfe, J. M. (1992). The parallel guidance of visual attention.Current Directions in Psychological Science,1, 124–128.
Wolfe, J. M., &Bennett, S. C. (1997). Preattentive object files: Shapeless bundles of basic features.Vision Research,37, 25–43.
Yantis, S. (1996). Attentional capture in vision. In A. F. Kramer, M. G. H. Coles, & G. D. Logan (Eds.),Converging operations in the study of visual selective attention (pp. 45–98). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Scharlau, I. Leading, but not trailing, primes influence temporal order perception: Further evidence for an attentional account of perceptual latency priming. Perception & Psychophysics 64, 1346–1360 (2002). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03194777
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03194777