Electrophysiological correlates of individual differences in visual awareness

• Applicant: Privatdozentin Dr. Andrea Schankin
• Subject Area: General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
• Term: from 2011 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 205686031

Biological theories of visual awareness are based on about 20 years of research. However, possible inter-individual differences in awareness remained unnoticed for the most part. In the current project, individual differences in visual awareness are investigated by the change blindness paradigm. Change blindness is the inability of observers to detect even large changes in the visual environment when they co-occur with other visual disruption. By using modern methods of statistical modelling, it is assed whether individual differences in the sensitivity for changes rely on a stable trait of a person or depend on situational factors. Furthermore, the way how information are selected from the environment (i.e., selective attention) is investigated as one possible source of inter-individual differences. In order to analyze cortical processes taking place during information processing the electrophysiological activity is recorded by the electroencephalogram (EEG). The expected results are significant from a theoretical perspective as well as from a practical point of view, for example for the design of working environments or the assessment of witness statements.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants