Investigating how the modularity of visuospatial attention shapes conscious perception using type I and type II signal detection theory.

Abstract

Attention abilities rest on the coordinated interplay of multiple components. One consequence to this multifaceted account is that selection processes likely intersect with perception at various junctures. Drawing from this overarching view, the current research examines how different forms of visuospatial attention influence various aspects of conscious perception, including signal detection, signal discrimination, visual awareness, and metacognition. In this effort, we combined a double spatial cueing approach, where stimulus- and goal-driven orienting were concurrently engaged via separate cues, with Type I and Type II signal detection theoretic frameworks through five experiments. Consistent with the modular view of visuospatial attention, our comprehensive assessment reveals that stimulus- and goal-driven orienting operate independently of each other for increasing perceptual sensitivity and reducing the decision bound. Conversely, however, our study shows that both forms of orienting hardly influence visual awareness and metacognition once perceptual sensitivity is accounted for. Our results therefore undermine the idea that attention directly interfaces with subjective aspects of perception. Instead, our findings submit a general framework whereby these attention modules indirectly impact visual awareness and metacognition by increasing perceptual evidence and decreasing the decision bound.

Shared neurophysiological resources between exogenous and endogenous visuospatial attentional processes

“…In the present work, we combined multivariate statistics with single and double spatial cueing procedures to examine the influence of endogenous attention over exogenous attention. Contrary to the idea that exogenous orienting is impervious to top-down factors (Landry et al, 2021;Pinto et al, 2013), our behavioral and neurophysiological results highlight that endogenous attention impacts exogenous attention across both cue-related and target-related processing.…”

“…In the present work, we combined multivariate statistics with single and double spatial cueing procedures to examine the influence of endogenous attention over exogenous attention. Contrary to the idea that exogenous orienting is impervious to top-down factors (Landry et al, 2021; Pinto et al, 2013), our behavioral and neurophysiological results highlight that endogenous attention impacts exogenous attention across both cue-related and target-related processing. Critically, our findings not only show that classifiers trained to decode the effects of exogenous attention during single cueing perform worst when tested in the context of double cueing, but also highlight that classifiers trained to decode the direction of endogenous attention can be mislead by the parallel engagement of endogenous attention.…”

“…Data analysis therefore proceeded from the data of 32 individuals (24 women, Mean age = 21.9 (SD = 2.6)). We determined our sample size based on previous work using the double cueing experimental approach (Landry et al, 2021). In this work, simulations following effect size estimates of performance revealed that 6 participants were required to achieve a power of .8 for the within-individual cueing effects of exogenous and endogenous orienting in a target discrimination task when alpha is set .05.…”

“…Some studies have examined the interplay between exogenous and endogenous attention using a double-cueing strategy where both forms of attention orienting are concurrently engaged. Following this approach, some findings support the dichotomous account by showing limited interactions between exogenous and endogenous attention during perceptual processing (Landry et al, 2021), while others have uncovered evidence for interferences in demanding context (Berger et al, 2005). Evidence shows that exogenous orienting can interfere with endogenous attention in certain contexts – an observation that emphasizes the ballistic nature of exogenous attention (Theeuwes, 2019).…”

Mechanisms of False Alarm in Response to Fear Stimulus: An Event-Related Potential Study

“…The concept of "False Alarm" in psychology comes from the theory of signal detection, which is defined as the reporting of the specified signal when there is no specified signal (Landry et al, 2021), while the "False Alarm" in response to the fear stimulus refers to the fear response to the stimulus, which is similar to the fear stimulus but does not indicate a substantial threat (LoBue, 2014). For example, when you are walking and suddenly find a "snake" in the grass by the side of the road, you will instantly have a strong sense of fear, but as soon as you find out that it is a toy snake, the fear will rapidly subside; this is a False Alarm.…”