Increased Occurrence of Eeg Alpha During Increased Attention

Mulholland, Thomas; Runnals, Sylvia

doi:10.1080/00223980.1962.9713123

Cited by 39 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The relative alpha band was activated by the daytime scenery stimuli while decreased in activity with the nighttime scenery stimuli. Researchers who studied EEG changes with visual stimuli have reported that an increase in the bottom-up visual attention leads to a significant decrease of the alpha wave [56][57][58][59][60]. Our findings indicate that the nighttime scenery stimuli led to more visual attention than the daytime scenery stimuli.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

Comparison between Daytime and Nighttime Scenery Focusing on Restorative and Recovery Effect

et al. 2019

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The overall purpose of this study was to investigate psycho-physiological variations in human bodies by observing visual images of daytime and nighttime scenery to focus on restorative and recovery effects. Unlike previous studies that have focused on the natural versus built environments, this study aims to compare restorative and recovery potentials between daytime and nighttime. The experiment was conducted by showing a total of 12 images to 60 participants in order to measure the brain response with an electroencephalogram (EEG). As measures of the psychological impact of the images, perceived restorative and recovery scales were used. The self-reported data indicates that daytime sceneries are rated more positively than nighttime sceneries in terms of restorative and recovery effects. According to the EEG results, restorative and recovery feelings have negative relationships with the relative theta band, while positive relationships are shown with the relative alpha band. The correlation analysis between EEG bands and brain regions showed a significant correlation (p < 0.05) with 46 pairs for the daytime scenery stimuli and 52 pairs for the nighttime scenery stimuli. Through the results of the study, we conclude that daytime and nighttime scenery affect restorative feelings and the human brain response through both verbal and non-verbal methods.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

Comparison between Daytime and Nighttime Scenery Focusing on Restorative and Recovery Effect

et al. 2019

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“…It turns out that the term attention is quite ambiguous. Mulholland and Runnals (1962), who also noted increases in alpha during increased "attention," concluded that the term attention can refer to neither a qualitatively consistent behavioral nor neurophysiological entity and that the classical and familiar alphaattention hypothesis [decreased alpha with increased attention] refers to a special case, i.e., transitory alerting to an external signal, (p. 329) This line of reasoning is supported by several biofeedback studies which have noted that alpha can be enhanced while a person maintains constant "attention" (Brown, 1970;Dewan, 1967;Mulholland, 1968;Peper, 1970). For example, when Mulholland (1968) was his own subject, he could easily maintain alpha even when alpha turned on a high-information auditory feedback (a radio program) presented over earphones.…”

Section: Attentionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the self-regulation of the occipital alpha rhythm: Control strategies, states of consciousness, and the role of physiological feedback.

Plotkin¹

1976

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

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In an experiment investigating the self-control of occipital alpha strength, a factorial design was employed with two levels of feedback (available or non-available), three levels of instruction (Cognitive, Oculomotor, and none), and two levels of lighting (on and off), except that the no-feedback-no-instruction group was not run. The Cognitive instructions were based on the strategies reported in the literature: To generate alpha, persons were instructed to relax, "let go", try to feel pleasant and serene, and allow themselves to review pleasant personal experiences; to suppress alpha, persons were instructed to concentrate, try hard, exert themselves mentally, and try to fell anxious or frustrated. The Oculomotor instructions to generate alpha were to visually blur and not focus, and to suppress alpha were to "look" and focus. The results led to the following conclusions: (a) Feedback-augmented enhancement and suppression of occipital alpha strength is always mediated by learned control of oculomotor processes, although sometimes persons are not aware that they are employing this strategy, especially in the case of alpha enhancement; alpha feedback trainees learn to "not look" in order to enhance alpha strength. (b) Whenever Cognitive strategies are successful in producing alpha strength changes, this is due to the fact that they can be efficient mediators of changes in oculomotor processes. (c) Feedback together with simple Oculomotor instructions leads to more successful alpha control than either alone. (d) High or enhanced levels of occipital alpha strength are not invariably accompanied by the "alpha experience", in fact, if a person is not led to expect it, the alpha experience will usually not occur during occipital alpha enhancement feedback. (e) States of nonsensory awareness, such as an absorption in thoughts and feelings, are reliably associated with enhanced occipital alpha strength. This association is what would be expected: Since vision is the dominant sensory modality in humans, it is reasonable that when visual processing is reduced during alpha enhancement feedback that there is also reduced sensory awareness in general and often greater attention to thoughts and feelings. (f) Alpha feedback per se is neither necessary for nor especially facilitative of the achievement of the alpha experience. Thus, if the alpha experience is more likely to occur with alpha feedback than without it, this is due to the special circumstances that make up the feedback situation and not due to alpha feedback per se.

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“…This could be of some theoretical interest. Alpha enhancement during mental work has been found in adults (Mulholland and Runnals 1962, Kreitman and Shaw 1965, Morrell1966, Griinewald et al 1968, Adey 1969, Legewie et al 1969 and also in children (Elliot 1964, Martinius andHoovey 1972, Schlack). This finding has been interpreted as an index of active inhibition responding to According to the investigations of Creutzfeld and co-workers (Creutzfeld et al 1964, Creutzfeld et al 1966, Akimoto and Creutzfeld 1958 and of Andersen and Andevsson (1968) the EEG alpha rhythm can be understood as an expression of a thalamo-cortical system which participates in filtering (inhibiting) insignificant stimuli.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…This finding has been interpreted as an index of active inhibition responding to According to the investigations of Creutzfeld and co-workers (Creutzfeld et al 1964, Creutzfeld et al 1966, Akimoto and Creutzfeld 1958 and of Andersen and Andevsson (1968) the EEG alpha rhythm can be understood as an expression of a thalamo-cortical system which participates in filtering (inhibiting) insignificant stimuli. Therefore, alpha enhancement during certain mental activities may be interpreted as an index of "concentration" or selective stimulus inhibition (Mulholland and Runnals 1962, Morrell 1966, Adey 1969.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurophysiological and Behavioural Changes During Mental Work in Children with Down's Syndrome

Hg¹,

H²

1977

Neuropediatrics

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Telemetered EEG and ECG were recorded from 18 Down's syndrome children (5;6--11 years) during rest, a visuomotor and a cognitive test, exploration and play. Simultaneously the behaviour was observed and recorded. In comparison with normal children (3;9--5;5 y. resp. 5;6--7;6 y.) the Down's syndrome children showed a low degree of motor activity, reduced attention and exploration and little variation of heart rate in relation to test difficulty. The main findings in the EEG (parieto-occipital recording) were a low amount and a small variability of alpha waves and a high amount of beta waves. This EEG phenomenon which is obviously not due to high activation is discussed with regard to possible connections with defective neurophysiological mechanisms of attention.

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Increased Occurrence of Eeg Alpha During Increased Attention

Cited by 39 publications

References 17 publications

Comparison between Daytime and Nighttime Scenery Focusing on Restorative and Recovery Effect

Comparison between Daytime and Nighttime Scenery Focusing on Restorative and Recovery Effect

On the self-regulation of the occipital alpha rhythm: Control strategies, states of consciousness, and the role of physiological feedback.

Neurophysiological and Behavioural Changes During Mental Work in Children with Down's Syndrome

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