Learning the symbolic relationship between cue and target in spatial attention: behavioral pattern and neural correlates

• Grant number: 14/19702-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: December 01, 2014
• End date: September 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Cognitive Psychology
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: André Mascioli Cravo
• Grantee: Mateus Silvestrin
• Host Institution: Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição (CMCC). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

A number of studies have shown that knowing where a target will be presented faciliates its processing. In the majority of these studies, a symbolic cue is used to guide the orientation of spatial attention. However, the mechanisms that govern learning and updating of these visuospatial symbolic cues are still largely unknown. To clarify these mechanisms we propose to investigate: 1) the behavioral patterns of learning and updating symbolic cues; 2) the neural mechanisms underlying these learning processes and recalibration of our expectations; 3) if learning and their electrophysiological correlates are different in situations where the interval between the target and target are variable or fixed. To develop such investigations, two psychophysical tasks will be performed with concomitant recording of electroencephalographic activity. The results will provide a better understanding of the neural bases of learning and recalibration of visuospatial attention by symbolic cues. (AU)