Attention Capture was Guided by the Contents of Non-semantic Coding Visual Working Memory: Evidence from ERPs

Abstract

Abstract: In order to explore the moderating effect of non-semantic coding information on attention capture in visual working memory and the stages of such moderating effect, the 2-D abstractly symmetric graphics were chose as materials and visual search paradigm was used. The ERPs of seventeen graduate participants were recorded to investigate the electrophysiological mechanism of the effects of different visual working memory contents on attention capture. The visual working memory contents were divided into three conditions:ipsilateral invalid information、contralateral invalid information and neutral information. The results demonstrated that:The RTs of the invalid information (ipsilateral, contralateral) conditions were significantly longer than neutral condition.The N2pc was enhanced under the condition of ipsilateral invalid information. The amplitude of the P300 was greater on ipsilateral invalid information and contralateral invalid information relative to neutral condition. The results suggested that the distractors with the same characteristics as non-semantic coding items in visual working memory gained the competitive advantage of attention resources and interfered with the attentional capture of target stimuli during the middle stage of attention processing of visual search. And this effect lasted to the late processing stage of attention.

Key words: non-semantic coding, visual working memory, attention capture, N2pc, P300

摘要： 为了探讨视觉工作记忆中非语义编码信息对注意捕获的调节以及这种调节作用发生的阶段，本研究采用视觉搜索范式，以二维抽象对称图形为材料，被试为17名大学生，利用事件相关电位技术，研究不同视觉工作记忆内容影响注意捕获的电生理机制。结果发现：（1）无效信息条件（同侧，对侧）下的反应时显著长于中性条件；（2）同侧无效信息条件下的N2pc波幅显著增大，两侧无效信息条件下的P300波幅大于中性条件。结果表明，在注意加工的中期阶段，与视觉工作记忆中非语义编码项目特征相同的干扰刺激在视觉搜索过程中获得了注意资源竞争优势，干扰个体对靶刺激的注意捕获，且该效应持续至注意的晚期加工阶段。

关键词: 非语义编码, 视觉工作记忆, 注意捕获, N2pc, P300

CLC Number:

B842

YANG Haibo, NIU Lili, YIN Shasha, BAI Xuejun. Attention Capture was Guided by the Contents of Non-semantic Coding Visual Working Memory: Evidence from ERPs[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2019, 17(1): 8-14.

杨海波, 牛丽丽, 尹莎莎, 白学军. 视觉工作记忆中非语义编码信息对注意捕获的影响：来自ERPs的证据[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2019, 17(1): 8-14.

References

姚树霞, 杨东, 齐森青, 雷燕, Ding, C. (2012). 视觉空间注意研究中的N2pc成分述评. 心理科学进展, 20(3), 53-63
Ásgeirsson, Á. G., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (2017). No arousal-biased competition in focused visuospatial attention. Cognition, 168, 191-204
Berggren, N., & Eimer, M. (2018). Object-based target templates guide attention during visual search. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 44(9), 1368-1382, doi: 10.1037/xhp0000541.
Brisson, B., Robitaille, N., & Jolicoeur, P. (2007). Stimulus intensity affects the latency but not the amplitude of the N2pc. Neuroreport, 18(15), 1627-1630, doi: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e3282f0b559.
Brouwer, A. M., Hogervorst, M. A., Oudejans, B., Ries, A. J., & Touryan, J. (2017). EEG and eye tracking signatures of target encoding during structured visual search. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 11, 264, doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00264.
Chun,M. M., & Wolfe, J. M. (1996). Just say no: How are visual searches terminated when there is no target present? Cognitive Psychology, 30(1), 39-78, doi: 10.1006/cogp.1996.0002.
Desimone, R., & Duncan, J. (1995). Neural mechanisms of selective visual attention. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 18(1), 193-222, doi: 10.1146/annurev.ne.18.030195.001205.
Desmedt, J. E. (1980). P300 in serial tasks: An essential post-decision closure mechanism. Progress in Brain Research, 54, 682-686, doi: 10.1016/S0079-6123(08)61690-8.
Eimer, M. (1996). The N2pc component as an indicator of attentional selectivity. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 99(3), 225-234, doi: 10.1016/0013-4694(96)95711-9.
Gao, Z. F., Yu, S. X., Zhu, C. F., Shui, R. D., Weng, X. C., Li, P., & Shen, M. W. (2016). Object-based encoding in visual working memory: Evidence from memory-driven attentional capture. Scientific Reports, 6, 22822, doi: 10.1038/srep22822.
Hollingworth, A., & Luck, S. J. (2009). The role of visual working memory (VWM) in the control of gaze during visual search. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 71(4), 936-949.
Kim, S., & Yang, S. C. (2016). Memory-based attentional capture by colour and shape contents in visual working memory. Visual Cognition, 24(1), 1-12, doi: 10.1080/13506285.2016.1213000.
Kumar, S., Soto, D., & Humphreys, G. W. (2009). Electrophysiological evidence for attentional guidance by the contents of working memory. European Journal of Neuroscience, 30(2), 307-317, doi: 10.1111/ejn.2009.30.issue-2.
Liu, Q., Lin, S. Y., Zhao, G., & Roberson, D. (2016). The effect of modulating top-down attention deployment on the N2pc/PCN. Biological Psychology, 117, 187-193, doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.04.004.
Luck, S. J., & Hillyard, S. A. (1994). Spatial filtering during visual search: evidence from human electrophysiology. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 20(5), 1000-1014, doi: 10.1037/0096-1523.20.5.1000.
Nieuwenhuis, S., Aston-Jones, G., & Cohen, J. D. (2005). Decision making, the P3, and the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system. Psychological Bulletin, 131(4), 510-532, doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.131.4.510.
Olivers, C. N. L., Meijer, F., & Theeuwes, J. (2006). Feature-based memory-driven attentional capture: visual working memory content affects visual attention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 32(5), 1243-1265, doi: 10.1037/0096-1523.32.5.1243.
Olson, I. R., Moore, K. S., & Drowos, D. B. (2008). The contents of visual memory are only partly under volitional control. Memory & Cognition, 36(7), 1360-1369.
Proulx, M. J., & Egeth, H. E. (2008). Biased competition and visual search: The role of luminance and size contrast. Psychological Research, 72(1), 106-113.
Soto, D., Heinke, D., Humphreys, G. W., & Blanco, M. J. (2005). Early, involuntary top-down guidance of attention from working memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 31(2), 248-261, doi: 10.1037/0096-1523.31.2.248.
Tan, J. F., Zhao, Y. F., Wu, S. S., Wang, L. J., Hitchman, G., & Tian, X., et al. (2014). The temporal dynamics of visual working memory guidance of selective attention. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 8(8), 345.
Telling, A. L., Kumar, S., Meyer, A. S., & Humphreys, G. W. (2010). Electrophysiological evidence of semantic interference in visual search. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 22(10), 2212-2225, doi: 10.1162/jocn.2009.21348.
Woodman, G. F., & Luck, S. J. (1999). Electrophysiological measurement of rapid shifts of attention during visual search. Nature, 400(6747), 867-869, doi: 10.1038/23698.
Woodman, G. F., & Luck, S. J. (2003). Serial deployment of attention during visual search. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 29(1), 121-138, doi: 10.1037/0096-1523.29.1.121.

[1]	CHEN Xianglin, ZHANG Junheng, YAN Bihua. Decoding Effect of Objects of Typical Spatial Position Relations in Real-World Scenes [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2022, 20(4): 441-449.
[2]	CHE Xiaowei, WANG Kaixuan, SHANGGUAN Mengqi, LI Shouxin. The Representation of Attention Template in Visual Working Memory: An EROS Study [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2020, 18(3): 297-303.
[3]	XING Qiang, SUN Hailong, CHE Jingshang. Effect of Feedback Value on Family Resemble Category Learning:An ERPs Study [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2018, 16(3): 300-307.
[4]	An Rong, Meng Fanying. The Simplified Images of Fear-relevant Stimuli Are Processed Automatically [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2017, 15(1): 62-68.
[5]	Zhao Cai, Gao Xuemei, Zhou Qun, Weng Lei. Violent Video Game Players′ Attentional Bias Toward Aggressive Pictures: Evidence from ERPs [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2016, 14(5): 584-590.
[6]	Qi Mingming,Guan Lili,Zhang Qinglin,Yang Juan. Time Course of Psychological Stress: Evidence from ERP [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2014, 12(2): 174-181.
[7]	Zhong Yiping, Zhang Yuchi, Tian Sang, Guo Ke, Li Wenhe, Yan Yuping, Zhou Luping. Short-Term Exposure to Violent Media Games Leads to Sensitization to Violence:an ERP Research [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2013, 11(6): 732-738.
[8]	Yang Haibo. The influence of visual working memory on top-down attentional control: A developmental perspective study [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2013, 11(3): 312-317.
[9]	Yang Haibo,Yin Shasha,Bai Xuejun. THE INFLUENCE OF VISUAL WORKING MEMORY CONTENTS ON VISUAL SEARCH [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2010, 8(2): 150-154.
[10]	Yue Zhenzhu,Zhou Xiaolin. VISUAL WORKING MEMORY UPDATING: A COGNITIVE OPERATION INDEPENDENT OF STIMULUS TYPE [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2005, 3(2): 125-129.
[11]	Shen Mowei, Yi Yuji, Zhang Feng. A STUDY OF VISUAL WORKING MEMORY LOAD IN N-BACK PARADIGM [J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2003, 1(3): 166-170.