The influence of top-down preparation on visual awareness of objects

• Applicant: Dr. Timo Stein
• Subject Area: General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
• Term: from 2012 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 232680815

A central debate in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience revolves around whether attention is required for visual awareness of natural, complex objects. The aim of the research proposed in this application is to help resolving this debate by determining the behavioral consequences and neural mechanisms of two factors that may strongly influence visual awareness of objects. First, we will examine how top-down preparation to detect specific object categories influences visual awareness of subsequently presented objects. Second, we will investigate how the social and evolutionary relevance of the semantic category of an object shapes visual awareness and modulates the effect of top-down preparation on object detection. Finally, we will test a candidate neural mechanism of top-down preparation in object detection. We will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to determine whether preparatory activity in category-selective visual cortical areas plays a causal role in top-down preparation and visual awareness of objects. These studies will provide novel insights into the influence of observer- and stimulus-related influences on conscious perception and thereby help to reconcile conflicting views on the relationship between attention and awareness.Keywords: Visual awareness, visual attention, object perception, interocular suppression, natural scenes, transcranial magnetic stimulation

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Italy
• Host: Professor Dr. Marius Peelen