Work

The mind's eye, looking inward? In search of executive control in internal attention shifting

Year: 2003

Type: article

Abstract: In studies of mental counting, participants are faster to increment a count that was just incremented (no-switch trial) than to increment a different count (switch trial). Investigators have attributed the effect to a shift in the internal focus of attention on switch trials. Here we report evidence for other bottom-up and top-down contributions. Two stimuli were mapped to each of two counts. The no-switch facilitation was greater when stimuli repeated than when they were different. Event-related potential (ERP) activity associated with repetitions was anterior to that associated with switching. Runs of no-switch trials elicited faster responses and frontal ERP activity. Runs of switches and large counts both elicited slow responses and reduced P300 amplitudes. Bottom-up processes may include priming on no-switch trials and conflict on switch trials. Top-down processes may control conflict, subvocal rehearsal, and the contents of working memory.

Source: Psychophysiology

DOI: 10.1111/1469-8986.00059

Authors: William J. Gehring, Richard L. Bryck, John Jonides, Roger L. Albin, David Badre

Institutions: University of Michigan, University of Oregon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Medical School, University of Michigan, National Institute of Mental Health

Award: G8601091897