Cortical synchronization as a neural basis for visual perception

Cortical synchronization has been suggested as a neural mechanism that is able to solve the feature binding problem. This idea has been intensively studied at neurophysiological, psychophysical and computational level. In this paper, arguments for and against the role of cortical synchronization in visual perception are critically examined. Initial neurophysiological findings of correlated neural activity in the primary visual cortex have been questioned by studies which reveal enhanced firing rate to the figure region compared to the background. Computational investigations reveal that synchronization has capacity limit. At the behavioural level, change blindness has been used as the evidence for capacity limit of visual perception. However, further examination of this issue showed that detailed visual representation exists but it is obscured by limitation of attention and visual working memory. Other behavioural phenomena, such as perceptual asynchrony, also point to the fact that there is dissociation between correlated neural activity and perception. Therefore, at present there is no sufficient evidence to support the conclusion that cortical synchronization plays a crucial role in visual perception

Perception as a Context for Conceptual Processing and Language Understanding

In the research on language understanding, context is defined in terms of words that help to construct the meaning of the target word or passage of text. Here, it is argued that the definition of context in language understanding should be broader in order to incorporate perception as an essential component of meaning. A theory of perceptual symbol systems is provided as a framework for understanding the role of perception in solving the symbol grounding problem for higher-level cognition. Theory posits that symbolic thought acquires its meaning only through reactivation of perceptual experiences of objects or states in the world to which the though refers to. Empirical evidence supporting the theory is also reviewed

Metacognitive Monitoring of Rule-Based Category Learning Tasks

The aim of the study was to investigate the dynamics of metacognitive monitoring during learning category structures defined by logical rules of different levels of complexity: conjunctive, conjunctive-disjunctive or complex rule. Feelingof- warmth judgments were used repeatedly during learning to assess participants' subjective feelings about how close they are to the acquisition of the appropriate rule. After each judgment, participants were asked to describe logical rules underlying category structures. As expected, the results showed that feeling-of-warmth judgments generally follow classification accuracy through the course of learning. Rule description accuracy shows a similar pattern and is also congruent with classification accuracy through the course of learning. Contrary to expectations, there were no differences between different levels of category structure complexity on any of the tested measures

¿Pueden la cognición y las emociones influir en la vista?

U radu su prikazani teorijski argumenti i empirijske potvrde za ideju i protiv ideje da kognitivni procesi (mišljenje, rezoniranje, očekivanje i vjerovanje) ili emocije i motivacija mogu izravno utjecati na i mijenjati sadržaj vida. Prema hipotezi o modularnosti uma i Marrovoj računalnoj teoriji vid je informacijski zatvoren modul s fiksnom, urođenom arhitekturom. Ona se temelji na specifičnim načelima koja su bitno drugačija od općega kognitivnog funkcioniranja. Vid mora biti kognitivno inpenetrabilan zato jer mora stvoriti točnu mentalnu reprezentaciju vanjskog svijeta i time omogućiti jedinki uspješno snalaženje u njemu. Suprotno tome, prema modelu prediktivnog kodiranja, kao suvremenog oblika zagovaranja penetrabilnosti vida, mozak stalno generira predikcije koje olakšavaju i usmjeravaju procesiranje osjetnih informacija i posljedično mijenjaju ono što vidimo. U novije vrijeme mnoga bihevioralna i neuroznanstvena istraživanja pokazuju da se vid doista mijenja pod utjecajem naučenih asocijacija i konteksta kao i socijalne kognicije, motivacije i emocija, što upućuje na zaključak da je vid kognitivno penetrabilan. Međutim, u navedenim su istraživanjima identificirane brojne metodološke i interpretacijske poteškoće iz kojih proizlazi suprotan zaključak. Na kraju, opisani su mogući smjerovi za daljnja teorijska i empirijska istraživanja koja bi nas trebala približiti razrješenju ovoga složenog pitanja.The paper reviews theoretical arguments and empirical findings in support and against the idea that cognitive processes (thinking, reasoning, expectations, and beliefs) or emotions and motivation can directly influence and change the content of vision. According to the modularity of mind hypothesis and Marr\u27s computational theory, vision is an informationally encapsulated module with fixed, innate architecture. This innate architecture is based on a specific set of principles which are much different from general cognitive functioning. Vision must be cognitively impenetrable because its task is to create an exact mental representation of the external environment that will enable individual to navigate through it successfully. In contrast, according to predictive coding model as an example of the modern advocate of penetrability of vision, brain constantly generates predictions which facilitate and redirect visual information processing and, consequently, alters what we see. Recently, many behavioural and brain studies revealed that vision is indeed altered under the influence of learned associations and context as well as social cognition, motivation and emotions, thus lending support to the claim that vision is cognitively penetrable. However, numerous methodological and interpretational pitfalls have been identified in aforementioned research, resulting in the opposite conclusion. At the end, we described potential avenues for further theoretical and empirical research which will bring us closer to the answer to this perplexing question.En este trabajo se han mostrado argumentos teóricos y pruebas empíricas para los pros y los contras de la idea de que procesos cognitivos (pensamiento, razonamiento, expectativas y creencias) o emociones y motivación pueden influir directamente en la vista y cambiar su contenido. Según la hipótesis sobre la modularidad de la mente y la teoría computacional de Marr, la vista es un módulo cerrado de informaciones con la arquitectura fija, innata. Se basa en los principios específicos que son significativamente diferentes del funcionamiento cognitivo general. La vista tiene que ser cognitivamente impenetrable porque tiene que crear una representación mental exacta del mundo exterior y así posibilitar a un individuo buen funcionamiento en el mismo. Por lo contrario, según el modelo de codificación predictiva, como un modelo contemporáneo de abogar por la penetrabilidad de vista, el cerebro genera continuamente las predicciones que facilitan y dirigen el procesamiento de informaciones sensoriales y en consecuencia cambian lo que vemos. Últimamente, muchas investigaciones conductuales y neurocientíficas muestran que la vista de verdad cambia bajo la influencia de asociaciones aprendidas y el contexto, tanto como bajo la influencia de cognición social, motivación y emociones, lo que lleva a conclusión de que la vista es cognitivamente penetrable. Sin embargo, en dichas investigaciones se han identificado numerosas dificultades metodológicas e interpretativas de las que surge una conclusión contraria. Al final, se han descrito posibles direcciones para futuras investigaciones teóricas y empíricas que deberían acercarnos a la solución de esta cuestión compleja

Serial effects in visual working memory

U istraživanju su ispitivani efekti serijalne pozicije u vidnomu radnom pamćenju. Provedena su tri eksperimenta u kojima je varirano vrijeme retencije i broj objekata (crta različitih po boji, položaju i/ili duljini) koje je trebalo pamtiti. Korišten je postupak detekcije promjene te je analizirana točnost odgovora ispitanika i brzina odgovaranja. U svakom eksperimentu je sudjelovalo 14 studenata prve godine studija psihologije na Filozofskom fakultetu u Rijeci. Utvrđeno je da se neovisno o broju čestica u nizu najbolje pamti posljednja prezentirana čestica ako je interval retencije malen (900 ms). Povećanjem intervala retencije (na 6250 ms) gubi se efekt recentnosti i svaka od čestica ima podjednaku vjerojatnost da će biti upamćena, bez obzira na serijalnu poziciju. Rezultati se mogu objasniti teorijom radnog pamćenja OSCAR koju su predložili Brown, Hulme i Preece (2000), odnosno komponentom te teorije koja se odnosi na kontekstualno preklapanje. Provedeno istraživanje predstavlja empirijsku potvrdu da se OSCAR može generalizirati i na vidno radno pamćenje.The effects of the serial position in visual working memory have been investigated. In three experiments, we varied the retention interval and the number of visual objects to be remembered (lines with different colors, position, and length). A change-detection paradigm was used in which accuracy and speed of participants\u27 responses was recorded. Fourteen students from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in Rijeka participated in each experiment. Data analysis showed that the last item was remembered with greater accuracy and speed when the retention interval was small (900 ms). This is true, irrespective of the number of objects that need to be remembered (four or six). With an increase in the retention interval (6250 ms), the recency effect was lost and all items were remembered with equal probability. The results are explained within the context of the OSCAR model of verbal working memory proposed by Brown, Hulme, and Preece (2000). These experiments have corroborated the conclusion that the OSCAR model could be generalized to visual working memory as well