The response to symmetry in extrastriate areas and its time course are modulated by selective attention

Bertamini, Marco ORCID: 0000-0001-8617-6864, Rampone, Giulia ORCID: 0000-0002-2710-688X, Tyson-Carr, John ORCID: 0000-0003-3364-2184 and Makin, Alexis DJ ORCID: 0000-0002-4490-7400 (2020) The response to symmetry in extrastriate areas and its time course are modulated by selective attention Vision Research, 177. pp. 68-75. ISSN 0042-6989, 1878-5646

Text BertaminiRamponeTysoncarrMakin2020.pdf - Published version Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

Neurophysiological studies have shown a strong activation in visual areas in response to symmetry. Electrophysiological (EEG) studies, in particular, have confirmed that amplitude at posterior electrodes is more negative for symmetrical compared to asymmetrical patterns. This response is present even when observers perform tasks that do not require processing of symmetry. In this sense the activation is automatic. In this study we test this automaticity more directly by presenting stimuli that contain both symmetry and asymmetry, as overlapping patterns of dots of different colour (black and white). Observers were asked to respond to symmetry in only one of the two colours. If feature-based attention has no role the response should depend on properties of the image. If attention fully filters only the relevant colour the response should depend on properties of the relevant colour only. Neither of these models fully explained the data. We conclude that selective attention does modulate the neural response to symmetry, however we also found a significant contribution from the irrelevant pattern.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Symmetry, Reflection symmetry, Extrastriate areas, ERP, SPN
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	05 Oct 2020 07:50
Last Modified:	01 Mar 2026 03:25
DOI:	10.1016/j.visres.2020.09.003
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3103392
Disclaimer:	The University of Liverpool is not responsible for content contained on other websites from links within repository metadata. Please contact us if you notice anything that appears incorrect or inappropriate.