Involuntary capture of attention produces domain-specific activation
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Neuroreport
2007 Jul 2
18
10
975-9
10.1097/WNR.0b013e3281668bcc
Journal Articles
PubMed ID:
17558280
In this study, we ask whether or not the involuntary capture of attention by a specific information type can produce domain-specific activation. Participants indicated the presence of a flicker in rapidly alternating letter-string masks presented in the periphery. Despite letters not being relevant to the task, we found, using functional MRI and a novel task that allowed us to contrast attended and unattended processing of the same visual information, a robust modulation by attentional capture in a localized letter-processing region. This finding suggests that the involuntary capture of attention is sufficient to produce domain-specific activation in early visual processing.
Year:
2007