Dual Processing of Aberrant Data Perception: Evidence From EEG Oscillations

The perception of aberrant data (PAD) is an essential cognitive ability in human socialization, yet the underlying dual processing mechanisms remain underexplored. Based on dual processing theory, this study uses electroencephalogram (EEG) time-frequency analysis to investigate the mediating role and representational patterns of neural oscillatory activity in automatic processes (APs) and controlled processes (CPs). The results indicated that during the PAD task, β oscillations in the frontal-parietal regions exhibited clear event-related desynchronization in the AP mode, whereas β oscillations displayed prominent event-related synchronization in the CP mode. The brain network excitation mediated by β oscillations was closely followed by brain network inhibition mediated by α oscillations, allowing for effective separation of the dual processing modes in PAD tasks through the β-kα index (p < 0.001). Moreover, in the PAD task, the AP mode was primarily attributed to the efficient communication mediated by cross-frequency phase coherence between β and α oscillations, as well as information integration mediated by intersite phase coherence in the frontal-parietal regions. This study provides a framework for a comprehensive understanding of the dual processing neural mechanisms behind PAD, with promising applications in the study of pathophysiological mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases and clinical interventions.