A neural signature of rapid category-based target selection as a function of intra-item perceptual similarity, despite inter-item dissimilarity
A neural signature of rapid category-based target selection as a function of intra-item perceptual similarity, despite inter-item dissimilarity
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DOI：
10.3758/s13414-015-1039-6
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发表时间：
2016-04-01
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
Aslin, Richard N.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Wu, Rachel;Pruitt, Zoe;Aslin, Richard N.
以前关于视觉搜索的研究表明，在任何给定的时间点，只有一个注意模板可以优先考虑。通过最大化注意模板携带的信息量，将特征分组为对象，并将对象分组为类别，可以促进搜索性能。从婴儿期到成年期，早期关于知觉相似性的研究表明，一致的特征增加了将特征分组为对象的可能性(例如，Quinn&Bhatt，心理科学)。20：933-938,2009)和对象分类(例如，形状偏见；Landau，Smith，&Jones，认知发展。1988年3：299-321)。在这里，我们问的是，尽管项目间存在差异，但较低级别的项目内相似性是否有助于更高级别的分类。成年人参与了四项视觉搜索任务，其中目标被定义为具有相似特征(如圆形肚皮形状和圆形背刺)或不相似特征(例如圆形肚皮形状和三角形背刺)的一个物品(特定外星人)或一个类别(任何外星人)。使用行为和神经测量(即，N2PC事件相关电位成分，通常出现在刺激后200ms)，我们发现项目内特征相似有助于分类，尽管类别项目之间的特征不同。我们的结果表明，特征相似性建立了新的类别，并激活了适合任务的抽象类别搜索模板。换句话说，在较低的项目级别进行分组有助于在较高的类别级别进行分组，这使我们能够克服视觉搜索中的效率限制。
Previous work on visual search has suggested that only a single attentional template can be prioritized at any given point in time. Grouping features into objects and objects into categories can facilitate search performance by maximizing the amount of information carried by an attentional template. From infancy to adulthood, earlier studies on perceptual similarity have shown that consistent features increase the likelihood of grouping features into objects (e.g., Quinn & Bhatt, Psychological Science. 20:933-938, 2009) and objects into categories (e.g., shape bias; Landau, Smith, & Jones, Cognitive Development. 3:299-321, 1988). Here we asked whether lower-level, intra-item similarity facilitates higher-level categorization, despite inter-item dissimilarity. Adults participated in four visual search tasks in which targets were defined as either one item (a specific alien) or a category (any alien) with either similar features (e.g., circle belly shape and circle back spikes) or dissimilar features (e.g., circle belly shape and triangle back spikes). Using behavioral and neural measures (i.e., the N2pc event-related potential component, which typically emerges 200 ms poststimulus), we found that intra-item feature similarity facilitated categorization, despite dissimilar features across the category items. Our results demonstrate that feature similarity builds novel categories and activates a task-appropriate abstract categorical search template. In other words, grouping at the lower, item level facilitates grouping at the higher, category level, which allows us to overcome efficiency limitations in visual search.