Spatial attention speeds discrimination without awareness in blindsight.

Full Abstract

An intimate relationship is often assumed between visual attention and visual awareness. Using a subject, patient GY, with the neurological condition of "blindsight" we show that although attention may be a necessary precursor to visual awareness it is not a sufficient one. Using a Posner endogenous spatial cueing paradigm we showed that the time our subject needed to discriminate the orientation of a stimulus was reduced if he was cued to the location of the stimulus. This reaction-time advantage was obtained without any decrease in discrimination accuracy and cannot therefore be attributed to speed-error trade-off or differences in bias between cued and uncued locations. As a result of his condition GY was not aware of the stimuli to which processing was attentionally facilitated. Attention cannot, therefore be a sufficient condition for awareness.

Author information

Author/s: Kentridge, R W (RW); Heywood, C A (CA); Weiskrantz, L (L);

Affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK. robert.kentridge(-atsign-)durham.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Neuropsychologia (Neuropsychologia), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2004-; vol 42 (issue 6) : pp 831-5

Dates: Created 2004/03/23; Completed 2004/05/19; Revised 2009/11/11;

PMID: 15037061, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/11/2009, IMS Date: )

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