Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
09:37
Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
Published on: July 5, 2015
Attentional selection in visual perception, memory and action: a quest for cross-domain integration
Werner X Schneider1, Wolfgang Einhäuser, Gernot Horstmann
1Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF), Center of Excellence (CITEC), Bielefeld University, , Bielefeld, Germany.
Summary
Attentional processes integrate perception, memory, and action for goal-directed behavior. This research explores attention as a bias mechanism, crucial for unifying cognitive and neural sciences beyond isolated domains.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Traditional cognitive and neural sciences often separate mind and brain functions.
- This separation, while successful, is insufficient for understanding complex goal-directed behavior.
Discussion:
- Attentional processes are key to integrating perception, memory, and sensorimotor control.
- Attention functions as a combination of competition and priority control (bias), driven by task goals.
- Vision serves as a primary model system, with eye movements highlighting attention's role in action and perception.
Key Insights:
- Integrative principles of attention link perception, memory, and action across diverse fields.
- Task-driven attentional bias is essential for coherent cognition and goal-directed behavior.
- Eye movements exemplify attention as both an action and a perceptual selection mechanism.
Outlook:
- A broad range of methodologies, from human behavior to single-neuron recordings, are employed.
- Integrating diverse approaches is vital for advancing attention research and cognitive/neural sciences.
- The ultimate goal is to understand cognition and behavior holistically, transcending isolated functional domains.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Parallel Processing
The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...
01:26Visual System
Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
01:24Vision
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
01:15Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.