The temporal architecture of central information processing: Evidence for a tentative time-quantum model

Geissler, Hans-Georg

doi:10.1007/bf00308674

Cited by 67 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Experimental results have shown that there exists a particular time interval of ~70-100 ms that is the minimum time required for the phenomenal binding of sensory inputs into a single event [75,[391][392][393]. This minimum time interval has several names: as the mental "quanta of time" [394,395], "perceptual moment" [396], or "perceptual frame" [397].…”

Section: Phenomenal Timementioning

confidence: 99%

Natural world physical, brain operational, and mind phenomenal space–time

Fingelkurts

Neves

2010

Physics of Life Reviews

166

233

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Concepts of space and time are widely developed in physics. However, there is a considerable lack of biologically plausible theoretical frameworks that can demonstrate how space and time dimensions are implemented in the activity of the most complex life-system -the brain with a mind. Brain activity is organized both temporally and spatially, thus representing space-time in the brain. Critical analysis of recent research on the space-time organization of the brain's activity pointed to the existence of so-called operational space-time in the brain. This space-time is limited to the execution of brain operations of differing complexity. During each such brain operation a particular short-term spatio-temporal pattern of integrated activity of different brain areas emerges within related operational space-time. At the same time, to have a fully functional human brain one needs to have a subjective mental experience. Current research on the subjective mental experience offers detailed analysis of space-time organization of the mind. According to this research, subjective mental experience (subjective virtual world) has definitive spatial and temporal properties similar to many physical phenomena. Based on systematic review of the propositions and tenets of brain and mind space-time descriptions, our aim in this review essay is to explore the relations between the two. To be precise, we would like to discuss the hypothesis that via the brain operational space-time the mind subjective space-time is connected to otherwise distant physical space-time reality.Key words: spatial, temporal, consciousness, cognition, operation, architectonics, EEG, field, metastability, physics, coordinative dynamics, self-organization, cortex.

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Section: Phenomenal Timementioning

confidence: 99%

Natural world physical, brain operational, and mind phenomenal space–time

Fingelkurts

Neves

2010

Physics of Life Reviews

166

233

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“…The present finding would be similar to those of Poppe1 (1968Poppe1 ( , 1970, who arrived at a 3O-msec value on the basis of reaction time distributions. Still, others have found indications of a shorter moment or time quantum in the 13-msec (Kristofferson, 1980(Kristofferson, , 1984, 9-msec (Geissler, 1985), or 4.5-msec (Geissler, 1987) range.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Single-parameter power law psychophysics of auditory numerosity and the psychological moment hypothesis

Robinson

1992

Perception & Psychophysics

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In the present study, numerosity estimation was investigated. A two-parameter Stevens power law analysis was performed on a total of 944 subjects in six experiments. Two pulse ranges (2-17 or 17-253 pulses) and six pulse rates (either constant or randomly varied within trial blocks) were used, variously, in an unsuccessful attempt to find evidence for a psychological moment, under the supposition that the exponent (or, possibly, the measure constant) would become smaller as increasing numbers of pulses fell within the interval determined by each psychological moment. A single-parameter reanalysis of these six experiments under the initial value condition that a (standard) stimulus of one pulse be assigned a theoretical response (modulus) of one yielded single-parameter equations whose exponents were reliably less varied than those for conventional two-parameter equations in Experiments 1-4 (with randomly varying pulse rates from trial to triaD but not less varied in Experiments 5 and 6 (in which pulse rates were constant within trial blocks). It was concluded that the variable pulse rate condition, with its reduced exponent variability and presumed reduced temporal confounding, provides a more valid estimate of the singleparameter power law exponent for numerosity, which was found to be 0.80.Although we are intellectually aware that apparently continuous movie scenes are discontinuous, and that the visual field for each eye includes a sizable (but usually unnoticed) blind spot, the impression of visual continuity dominates our perception to the extent that such intellectual awareness does not disrupt the illusion. Presumably contributing in part to the illusion are insensitivity (in the case ofthe blind spot imaged onto an optic disk devoid ofphotoreceptor cells) and informational overload, wherein variations in sensory input occur at a rate exceeding the~en sory or perceptual capabilities of the sensory system (in the case of the apparently continuous movie). Stroud (1955) has suggested a perceptual moment hypothesis, which, although it is not specific with respect to the anatomical locus , represents an attempt to account for apparent informational limits in a variety of contexts, by means of the supposition that we can differentiate in psychological time repetitive physical events that we see or hear, provided that they are in separate psychological moments of time. This psychological (perceptual) moment corresponds to a typical duration ofapproximately 0.1 sec, but it may range from 0.05 to 0.2 sec for various circumstances. An implication of this hypothesis is illustrated by Stroud (1955, pp. 189-191) with reference to some preliminary unpublished work of Cheatham and White, who investigated subjects' ability to count repeated flashes Thanks are extended to Nancy B. Robinson for general assistance and to two anonymous reviewers for their comments on the manuscript. Correspondence may be addressed to

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“…The presence of any kind of the discrete intervals means that a perceptual process is not continuous but has some "perceptual intermittencies" (Stroud, 1955;Allport, 1968). It seems relevant that various time units differing in size and functional significance are involved in the information processing (Geissler, 1987;1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many research works (Geissler, 1987(Geissler, , 1990Geissler, Schebera, & Kompass, 1999;Kompass, 1999;Kristofferson, 1967Kristofferson, , 1980Treisman, 1963;Treisman, Faulkner, Naish, & Brogan, 1990;Vanagas, Balkelite, Bartusjavicus, & Kirvialis, 1976;Vanagas, 1994Vanagas, , 2001Andrew A. Fingelkurts & Alexander A. Fingelkurts, 2006) demonstrated the existence of the substantial amount of the time discretization across different tasks and sensory modalities. The rhythmic activity of the physiological processes in nervous system which could be responsible for the discreetness of perception in time (Bernander & Koch, 1994;Sompolinsky & Tsodyks, 1994;Torborg, Hansen, & Feller, 2005;Paik, Kumar, & Glaser, 2009;Kitzbichler, Smith, Christensen, & Bullmore, 2009;Cardin, Carlen, Meletis, Knoblich, Zhang, Deisseroth, Tsai, & Moore, 2009;Tabareau, Slotine, & Pham, 2010;VanRullen & Dubois, 2011;Treisman, Faulkner, Naish, & Brogan, 1990) was deeply disputed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, there is the discrete time interval when the stimulus can effectively change the responses of the neurons within the neural system. Sometimes, this time interval is called time quantum of perception (Vanagas, Balkelite, Bartusjavicus, & Kirvialis, 1976;Vanagas, 2001;Geissler, 1987;Geissler, Schebera, & Kompass, 1999;Andrew A. Fingelkurts & Alexander A. Fingelkurts, 2006). If the effectiveness of the stimulus depends upon the frequency of the flickering stimulus, then the alteration rate of the perceived images under the binocular rivalry can also depend upon the frequency of the flicker.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fast Cyclic Stimulus Flashing Modulates Dominance Duration in Binocular Rivalry

Kulikowski

2013

JPR

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This study addresses the problem whether duration of the dominant time (i.e., time interval during which the subject perceives only one of two presented stimuli under binocular rivalry) depends upon frequency of flashes of monocular stimuli. Two orthogonal black bars against white backgrounds were presented tachistoscopically for the left and right eyes, respectively. Duration of each bar flash was randomly changed by 1 ms from 4 till 20 ms (125−25 flash/s). We found that duration of the dominant time as function of flashing stimulus span is changed periodically with the period about 4−5 ms. Results are discussed within the hypothesis of discrete information processing in the nervous system. The contribution of the harmonic oscillations of physiological processes in this phenomenon is also analyzed.

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The temporal architecture of central information processing: Evidence for a tentative time-quantum model

Cited by 67 publications

References 22 publications

Natural world physical, brain operational, and mind phenomenal space–time

Natural world physical, brain operational, and mind phenomenal space–time

Single-parameter power law psychophysics of auditory numerosity and the psychological moment hypothesis

Fast Cyclic Stimulus Flashing Modulates Dominance Duration in Binocular Rivalry

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