Consciousness of attention and expectancy as reflected in event-related potentials and reaction times

Sommer, W., Matt, J. and Leuthold, H. (1990) Consciousness of attention and expectancy as reflected in event-related potentials and reaction times. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 16(5), pp. 902-915. (doi: 10.1037/0278-7393.16.5.902) (PMID:2147445)

Abstract

he effects of conscious expectancies and attention on event-related potentials (ERPs) and choice reaction times (RTs) and their modulation by stimulus sequence were studied. Ss retrospectively reported their expectancy of, and attention to, the terminal tones of short series. ERPs and RTs showed the usual sequential effects that were modulated by practice. As ratings were affected by only a few of the stimulus sequence, conscious access to sequence-based expectancy or attention appears to be fragmentary. Increased P300 amplitude with attention indicates conscious access to processing capacity. RTs and P300 latencies suggest stimulus processing time to decrease with sequence-based and consciously accessible expectancy. Differential effects of stimulus sequences and conscious expectancies on P300 amplitude indicate influences of two varieties of expectancy.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Leuthold, Prof Hartmut
• Authors: Sommer, W., Matt, J., and Leuthold, H.
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Psychology
• Journal Name: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
• ISSN: 0278-7393
• ISSN (Online): 1939-1285