Scanning the world in three seconds: Mismatch negativity as an indicator of temporal segmentation

Abstract

It has been shown recently that a temporal window of approximately 3 s has a modulatory effect on mismatch negativity (MMN). This special temporal window has been interpreted as representing the "subjective present," and reflecting a temporal segmentation in behavioral and cognitive functions. A more detailed look into the temporal structure of the MMN appeared to be reasonable as group data might shadow the underlying mechanisms because of too-high response variance. In this study, we tested one subject on 11 successive days at the same circadian phase using a passive auditory oddball paradigm with interstimulus intervals (ISIs) ranging from 1 s to 6 s. We observed a U-shape function of MMN showing the largest amplitudes to the oddball stimuli with an ISI of 2 s and 3 s being flanked by smaller response amplitudes for shorter and longer ISIs. This result pattern can be explained with an oscillatory neural mechanism underlying the temporal modulation of MMN. Besides confirming and substantiating temporal segmentation in sensory processing, the present study also demonstrates that a single case study can be a useful and complementary tool in cognitive research.

Complementarity As Generative Principle: A Thought Pattern for Aesthetic Appreciations and Cognitive Appraisals in General

“…As a perhaps not so recent example may serve the Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset (1916/1957) who in an essay analyzes the beauty of a lady who sits with him in a street car. As he says within 3 s only, (which has been found to be an important time window in cognitive processing: Pöppel, 2009a; Pöppel and Bao, 2014; Wang et al, 2016) Ortega “knows” that the lady is beautiful. In this first impression he is relying on implicit or tacit knowledge (Pöppel and Bao, 2011).…”

Quantifying and modelling non-local information processing of associative brain regions

“…With a critical number of neurons (about 10 8 ), a holographic medium results, integrating conscious motor, proprioceptive and sensory input into a unified model of self and world representation. With a higher number (about 10 9 ), it integrates at least 150 bits for several seconds allowing to plan and reflect (at least 3 seconds in simulation, as observed 24 ). This subjective presence is provided as a holographic brain pattern to all The principle of selecting better and better adapted information stored internally for survival combined with ever higher levels of nodes and supernodes is sufficient to imply rather complex emergent behavior.…”

“…As estimated for conscious perception 23 and subjective presence 24 , the simulation easily encodes and stores over 50 bits of information within 3 seconds (Fig. 4a).…”

The two‐ to three‐second time window of shot durations in movies

“…Given that one phenomenon can be observed with various tasks, it is reasonable to assume a global mechanism. The time window of 2 to 3 s has been observed with many different experimental paradigms such as the spontaneous alteration of ambiguous figures, temporal reproduction, sensorimotor synchronization, speech segmentation, intentional movements, or attentional control (Bao et al, 2015) and also on the neural level such as the amplitude modulation of mismatch negativity indicating an oscillatory temporal regularity (Wang et al, 2016). In addition, this temporal constancy extends to artistic artifacts such as motifs of classical music and verses of poems in different cultures (Zhao et al, 2018).…”