Attention modulates initial stages of visual word processing.

Selective attention has the potential to enhance the initial processing of objects, their spatial locations, or their constituent features. The present study shows that this capacity to modulate initial stages of processing also applies to linguistic attributes. A cueing paradigm focused attention a...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ruz, M, Nobre, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2008
_version_ 1797101204876034048
author Ruz, M
Nobre, A
author_facet Ruz, M
Nobre, A
author_sort Ruz, M
collection OXFORD
description Selective attention has the potential to enhance the initial processing of objects, their spatial locations, or their constituent features. The present study shows that this capacity to modulate initial stages of processing also applies to linguistic attributes. A cueing paradigm focused attention at different levels of word representations on a trial-by-trial basis to study the time course of attentional modulation on visual word processing by means of a high-density electrophysiology recording system. Attention to different linguistic attributes modulated components related to semantic, phonological, and orthographic stages of word processing. Crucially, the N200, associated with initial stages of orthographic decoding, was enhanced by attention to the letter pattern of words. These results suggest that top-down attention has the capacity to enhance initial perceptual stages of visual word processing and support the flexibility of attention in modulating different levels of information processing depending on task goals.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T05:48:32Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:e809df17-425d-450b-bda2-82cda9389c94
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T05:48:32Z
publishDate 2008
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:e809df17-425d-450b-bda2-82cda9389c942022-03-27T10:43:40ZAttention modulates initial stages of visual word processing.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:e809df17-425d-450b-bda2-82cda9389c94EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2008Ruz, MNobre, ASelective attention has the potential to enhance the initial processing of objects, their spatial locations, or their constituent features. The present study shows that this capacity to modulate initial stages of processing also applies to linguistic attributes. A cueing paradigm focused attention at different levels of word representations on a trial-by-trial basis to study the time course of attentional modulation on visual word processing by means of a high-density electrophysiology recording system. Attention to different linguistic attributes modulated components related to semantic, phonological, and orthographic stages of word processing. Crucially, the N200, associated with initial stages of orthographic decoding, was enhanced by attention to the letter pattern of words. These results suggest that top-down attention has the capacity to enhance initial perceptual stages of visual word processing and support the flexibility of attention in modulating different levels of information processing depending on task goals.
spellingShingle Ruz, M
Nobre, A
Attention modulates initial stages of visual word processing.
title Attention modulates initial stages of visual word processing.
title_full Attention modulates initial stages of visual word processing.
title_fullStr Attention modulates initial stages of visual word processing.
title_full_unstemmed Attention modulates initial stages of visual word processing.
title_short Attention modulates initial stages of visual word processing.
title_sort attention modulates initial stages of visual word processing
work_keys_str_mv AT ruzm attentionmodulatesinitialstagesofvisualwordprocessing
AT nobrea attentionmodulatesinitialstagesofvisualwordprocessing