Perceptual Processing is Not Spared During the Attentional Blink

Abstract

Identification of the second of two targets is impaired when these appear within 500 ms of each other. This phenomenon, known as the attentional blink (AB) is thought to reflect disrupted post-perceptual processing. Yet, decisive empirical support for this claim is lacking. We measured the depth of the AB, while manipulating the second target’s reporting feature. We reasoned that if perceptual processing is unaffected by the blink, all the features of the blinked target should have equal access to working memory. In contrast with this prediction, we found identity and semantic-category reports to be more severely impaired by the blink than color reports, although baseline performance was similar in the two report conditions. These findings suggest that high-level features are more poorly represented in working memory than low-level features during the blink. We conclude that the attentional blink disrupts perceptual processing. Implications for contemporary models of the attentional blink are discussed.

What processes are disrupted during the attentional blink? An integrative review of event-related potential research

“…What stance do these theories adopt on the second question addressed in this review: is perceptual processing of a blinked target impaired? Perceptual processing refers to any operations involved in forming sensory representations (e.g., Vogel et al, 2005;Zivony et al, 2018b). Low-level perceptual processes, such as registration of basic features (e.g., color and orientation), are widely assumed to occur early, automatically and in parallel across the visual field (Itti & Koch, 2001;Treisman, 2014;Wolfe, 2014).…”

“…This state of affairs is likely to result from the implicit assumption that at any given moment, semantic information is either fully represented or not at all, and accordingly, that it should be either unaffected or entirely suppressed by the blink. The intermediate possibilitythat semantic processing may be weakened during the blinkwas typically not considered (but see Zivony et al, 2018b). Indeed, the first studies that supported the post-perceptual account (Maki et al, 1997;Shapiro et al, 1997) focused on whether semantic processing is at all possible during the blink.…”

“…Perceptual processing of each stimulus in the RSVP stream starts when information reaches the visual cortex, approximately 50-70 ms after stimulus onset (as reflected by P1). Low-level features (e.g., color) are activated faster than high-level features (e.g., semantic identity; see Zivony et al, 2018b). Nevertheless, feedforward processing may result in the extraction of semantic information but, as such information is fragile and vulnerable to perceptual competition, it may not be sufficiently activated to be encoded in WM (Sligte et al, 2008).…”

“…Task-relevant colors are more strongly activated than task-relevant identities in the absence of attentional engagement. Therefore, delayed engagement is more likely to result in incorrectly reporting T2's identity than in incorrectly reporting its color (Zivony et al, 2018b).…”

Distinct neural bases of subcomponents of the attentional blink

“…In particular, previous studies have investigated the stage at which attentional blink affects T2's processing (early or late) [14][15][16][17] and the neural basis of this effect, including the specific brain regions involved 15,[18][19][20] . There is little support for attentional blink deficits at an early, sensory encoding 14 stage; by contrast, the vast majority of literature suggests that T2's processing is affected at a late stage 8,10 .…”