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

认知心理学和认知神经科学的一个核心争论是关于自然复杂物体的视觉感知是否需要注意力。本申请中提出的研究的目的是通过确定可能强烈影响物体视觉意识的两个因素的行为后果和神经机制来帮助解决这一争论。首先，我们将研究如何自上而下的准备，以检测特定的对象类别的影响随后提出的对象的视觉意识。其次，我们将研究对象的语义类别的社会和进化相关性如何塑造视觉意识，并调节自上而下的准备对对象检测的影响。最后，我们将测试一个候选神经机制的自上而下的准备对象检测。我们将使用功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）引导的经颅磁刺激（TMS）来确定类别选择性视觉皮层区域的准备活动是否在自上而下的准备和物体的视觉意识中起着因果作用。这些研究将为观察者和刺激相关的影响对意识知觉的影响提供新的见解，从而有助于调和关于注意和意识之间关系的冲突观点。关键词：视觉意识，视觉注意，物体知觉，眼间抑制，自然场景，经颅磁刺激

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