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| Research article summary (published 15 Jul 2003): |
Sustained division of the attentional spotlight.
Full Abstract
By voluntarily directing attention to a specific region of a visual scene, we can improve our perception of stimuli at that location. This ability to focus attention upon specific zones of the visual field has been described metaphorically as a moveable spotlight or zoom lens that facilitates the processing of stimuli within its 'beam'. A long-standing controversy has centred on the question of whether the spotlight of spatial attention has a unitary beam or whether it can be divided flexibly to disparate locations. Evidence supporting the unitary spotlight view has come from numerous behavioural and electrophysiological studies. Recent experiments, however, indicate that the spotlight of spatial attention may be divided between non-contiguous zones of the visual field for very brief stimulus exposures (&<100 ms). Here we use an electrophysiological measure of attentional allocation (the steady-state visual evoked potential) to show that the spotlight may be divided between spatially separated locations (excluding interposed locations) over more extended time periods. This spotlight division appears to be accomplished at an early stage of visual-cortical processing.
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Author information
Author/s: Müller, M M (MM); Malinowski, P (P); Gruber, T (T); Hillyard, S A (SA);
Affiliation: Institut für Allgemeine Psychologie, Universität Leipzig, Seeburgstrasse 14-20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. m.mueller@rz.uni-leipzig.de
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Journal: Nature (Nature), published in England. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2003-Jul; vol 424 (issue 6946) : pp 309-12
Dates: Created 2003/07/17; Completed 2003/07/31; Revised 2006/11/15;
PMID: 12867981, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
Comments and Corrections
ErratumIn: Nature. 2003 Dec 4;426(6966):584.
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