Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning
14:38

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning

Published on: November 2, 2012

12.2K

A sequential trial effect based on the motor interference effect from dangerous objects: An ERP study

Peng Liu1, Xiaoyi Wang2, Gai Cao1

  • 1School of Public Management, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.

Brain and Behavior
|September 4, 2018
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Experiencing a dangerous object in one trial enhances attention and improves performance on subsequent dangerous trials. This effect, however, only occurs when a response must be executed.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Previous research indicates that threat cues can influence cognitive processing.
  • Understanding how prior exposure to danger affects subsequent responses is crucial for explaining adaptive behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of processing a prepared response to a dangerous object in a prior trial on subsequent trial processing.
  • To examine the impact of sequential trial dangerousness on behavioral and neural responses.

Main Methods:

  • A Go/NoGo task was employed, manipulating the dangerousness of targets in consecutive trials.
  • Behavioral data (reaction time, error rate) and event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded.

Main Results:

  • In Go trials, a diminished motor interference effect was observed when trials preceded a dangerous target, unlike trials preceded by a safe target.
  • Event-related potential data showed increased P2 and parietal P3 amplitudes for dangerous-dangerous (dD) conditions compared to dangerous-safe (dS) conditions, indicating heightened attentional resource allocation.
  • No significant effects were found in NoGo trials for either behavioral or ERP measures.

Conclusions:

  • Avoidance motivation from a previous dangerous target enhances attentional allocation to subsequent dangerous trials, improving performance and reducing motor interference.
  • This effect is contingent on the requirement to execute a prepared response, as evidenced by the lack of significant findings in NoGo trials.
Keywords:
avoidance motivationdangerous objectsmotor interference effectmotor priming paradigmsequential trial effect

More Related Videos

Design and Use of an Apparatus for Presenting Graspable Objects in 3D Workspace09:11

Design and Use of an Apparatus for Presenting Graspable Objects in 3D Workspace

Published on: August 8, 2019

6.1K
A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential ERP Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder08:17

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential ERP Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 12, 2018

11.2K

Related Concept Videos

Interference and Diffraction02:18

Interference and Diffraction

Interference is a characteristic phenomenon exhibited by waves. When two electromagnetic waves interact with their peaks and troughs coinciding, a resulting wave with enhanced amplitude is produced. This is known as constructive interference. In this case, the two waves interacting are in phase with each other.
52.5K
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
28.1K
Clinical Trials: Overview01:11

Clinical Trials: Overview

Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...
5.0K
Trial and Error and Algorithm01:12

Trial and Error and Algorithm

A problem-solving strategy is a plan of action used to find a solution. Different strategies have distinct action plans. Trial and error involves trying different solutions until one works. For instance, to fix a broken printer, you might check ink levels, ensure the paper tray isn't jammed, and verify the printer's connection to your laptop. This method can be time-consuming but is commonly used. Thomas Edison, for example, used trial and error to find a suitable filament for the light...
424
Clinical Trials01:16

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
10.8K
Velocity of an Object01:18

Velocity of an Object

Understanding how an object moves along a path requires distinguishing between motion over a time span and motion at a precise moment. A useful example is a vehicle traveling along a straight and level path, where its position at any given time is known. The initial step in analyzing this motion is to measure how far the vehicle travels over a fixed time period. This measurement, called average velocity, is computed by dividing the total change in position by the duration over which the change...
207