The Effect of Perceptual Grouping on Temporal Order Perception: The Role of Attentional Cues

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240106

Abstract

Abstract: Perceptual grouping is an important factor affecting temporal order perception. Whereas grouping of perceptual elements to form meaningful objects may occur relatively automatically and independently of top-down attention selection. The effect of perceptual grouping on temporal order perception may occur mainly in the early stage of perceptual processing. It has also been found that exogenous attention and endogenous attention represent two attention systems that can affect temporal order perception. Generally, perceptual judgments are biased towards attended stimuli, which are more likely to be perceived appeared first. A further question concerns whether attention can regulate the effect of perceptual organization on temporal order perception. The goal of the present study was to investigate the role of endogenous and exogenous attention in the effect of perceptual grouping on temporal order perception.
The "C" figure composed of three line segments was used as the experimental material. Participants performed a ternary-response task in which two stimuli were presented in a configuration that encouraged perceptual grouping or not. In the task, the participants were required to report which stimulus was presented first, or else that the two stimuli appeared to have been presented simultaneously. Within-subjects design was conducted in Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, perceptual grouping(one-object and two-object), attention condition (valid cues and invalid cues), and SOA(0ms, ±15ms, ±30ms, ±45ms, ±90ms) as the independent variables, to investigate the role of exogenous and endogenous attention in the effect of perceptual grouping on temporal order perception.
The temporal order judgment response of the subjects was converted into the judgment frequency of the picture on the same side with the cues appeared first and the judgment frequency of two pictures appeared at the same time. The results showed that when endogenous attention cues were used, the judgment frequency of the picture on the same side with the cues appeared first in the effective cue condition was significantly higher than that of the invalid cues condition, while the judgment frequency of simultaneous in the effective cues condition was significantly lower than that of the invalid cues condition. The same results were also found by using exogenous attention cues. However, compared with endogenous attention cues, exogenous attention played a more important role in the effect of perceptual organization on temporal order perception. This may be due to the fact that endogenous attention and exogenous attention speed-up perceptual processing about the stimulus appearing at the attended location, thus destroying the grouping of perceptual elements to form meaningful objects, and reducing the effect of perceptual organization on temporal order perception. However, the effect of endogenous and exogenous attention on temporal order perception was limited. The results show that the frequency of simultaneous judgment of the perceptual grouping condition is significantly higher than the other condition regardless of whether the two figures appeared at the same time. This indicates that even under the influence of attention cues, the perceptual organization process still has an effect on temporal order perception. The mechanism of attention in the influence of perceptual organization on temporal order perception needs to be further studied by cognitive neuroscience technology.

Key words: temporal order perception, endogenous attention, exogenous attention, perceptual grouping

摘要： 本研究探讨注意线索在知觉组织影响时序知觉中的作用。实验1和实验2采用2(图形朝向：图形对向、图形反向) × 2 (注意条件：有效线索、无效线索) × 9(SOA：0ms、±15ms、±30ms、±45ms、±90ms)的实验设计,分别探讨外源性注意线索、内源性注意线索在知觉组织影响时序知觉中的作用。结果发现,在图形对向和图形反向条件中,被试在有效线索条件比无效线索条件中更倾向于判断注意线索一侧的刺激先出现;但是在有效和无效线索条件中,被试在图形对向条件均比图形反向条件更倾向于判断两个图形同时出现。结果表明,知觉组织对时序知觉的影响受到注意线索的调节,而且外源性和内源性注意线索的作用有差异,但是注意线索不能消除知觉组织对时序知觉的影响。

关键词: 时序知觉, 内源性注意, 外源性注意, 知觉组织

Yin Tianzi, Liu Xiao, Liu Zongxia, Qi Jiangdan, Wu Qian. The Effect of Perceptual Grouping on Temporal Order Perception: The Role of Attentional Cues[J]. Journal of Psychological Science, 2024, 47(1): 44-51.

尹天子, 刘潇, 刘宗霞, 戚江丹, 吴倩. 知觉组织对时序知觉的影响：注意线索的作用^*[J]. 心理科学, 2024, 47(1): 44-51.

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