Year: 2017
Type: dissertation
Abstract: In a complex visual environment, attention is important for the selection of relevant input for further processing. Past research has established there to be robust effects of spatial attention on sensory representations, however, a newer line of research suggests there to also be feature-based attentional modulations, separate from spatial modulations. Studies have attempted to test the capacity of feature-based attentional systems by examining the efficiency of attending to multiple features simultaneously. Evidence is mixed, but there appears to be limited effectiveness in using more than one feature of the same dimension in discrimination tasks. In this study I will use object detection and discrimination paradigms to address whether attention to colour and shape can enhance task performance. I find additive effects of colour and shape manipulations, suggesting that attention to each feature facilitates perception independently. This research is important for setting realistic restrictions on models of attentional processes.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Nina Lee
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2795009041