Volume 6, Number 9, Article 8, Pages 955-965 doi:10.1167/6.9.8 http://journalofvision.org/6/9/8/ ISSN 1534-7362
Transient covert attention and the perceived rate of flicker
Barbara Montagna
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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Marisa Carrasco
Department of Psychology and Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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Abstract

Transient covert attention affects basic visual dimensions such as contrast sensitivity, spatial resolution, and temporal resolution. Two recent studies provide evidence of corresponding phenomenological changes: The increase in contrast sensitivity and spatial resolution at the attended location is associated with increased apparent contrast (M. Carrasco, S. Ling, & S. Read, 2004) and apparent spatial frequency (J. Gobell & M. Carrasco, 2005). Here, we assessed a phenomenological correlate of attention for temporal vision, asking whether and how transient attention affects perceived flicker rate. We employed a psychophysical method developed to assess changes in appearance by manipulating transient attention via uninformative spatial cues. In each trial, two suprathreshold Gabor stimuli, appearing briefly to the left and right of fixation, were counterphase modulated at either the same or different temporal frequencies. To assess appearance, we asked observers to perform an orientation discrimination task contingent on perceived flicker rate: “What was the orientation of the Gabor that flickered faster?” Results indicated that perceived flicker rate increased at the cued location. A control experiment, in which observers reported the orientation of the Gabor that flickered slower, ruled out a cue bias explanation. We conclude that transient attention increases perceived flicker rate.

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History
Received April 7, 2006; published August 18, 2006
Citation
Montagna, B., & Carrasco, M. (2006). Transient covert attention and the perceived rate of flicker. Journal of Vision, 6(9):8, 955-965, http://journalofvision.org/6/9/8/, doi:10.1167/6.9.8.
Keywords
attention, appearance, temporal vision, flicker rate
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