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Related Concept Videos

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association 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,...

Vision

Vision

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.

Visual System

Visual 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...

Gestalt Principles of Perception

Gestalt Principles of Perception

Gestalt principles provide a framework for understanding how humans perceive objects as unified wholes within their context. These principles are essential in explaining the cognitive processes that make sense of complex visual stimuli by organizing them into coherent groups. One fundamental principle is proximity, which posits that objects located close to each other are perceived as a collective group. For instance, when dots are positioned near one another, the visual system interprets them...

Parallel Processing

Parallel 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...

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor 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....

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 2, 2025

Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments

Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments

Published on: January 23, 2017

The Architecture of Object-Based Attention.

Patrick Cavanagh^1,2, Gideon P Caplovitz³, Taissa K Lytchenko³

¹Department of Psychology, Glendon College, 2275 Bayview Avenue, North York, ON, M4N 3M6, Canada. patcav1@yorku.ca.

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review

|April 20, 2023

Summary

Object-based attention allows focus on fully formed object representations, controlled by ventral visual areas. This mechanism may underlie feature-based and space-based attention, integrating different attentional modes.

Keywords:

Attention Object-based attention Vision

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Visual Perception
Attention Studies

Background:

Understanding how attention selects objects is crucial for cognitive science.
Previous research explored object identity, neural correlates, and attentional control mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent advancements in object-based attention.
To elucidate the mechanisms governing how attention is allocated to objects.
To explore the relationship between object-based, feature-based, and space-based attention.

Main Methods:

Review of findings from unconscious priming and cueing experiments.
Analysis of neuroimaging data implicating ventral visual areas.
Examination of computational models, including autoencoding.

Main Results:

Object-based attention targets fully developed object representations at the identity level.
Ventral visual areas control object-based attention, projecting to early visual areas.
Object-based attention shares properties with feature-based and space-based attention, suggesting integration.

Conclusions:

Object-based attention is a fundamental mechanism potentially unifying different attentional modes.
The architecture of object-based attention involves feedback loops from object-specific areas.
Future research should further investigate the parallel processing and integration of attention pathways.