Neuroscience 2004 Abstract
| Presentation Number: | 767.17 |
|---|---|
| Abstract Title: | Unconscious word processing produces a measurable neural response that differentiates words from random letter strings. |
| Authors: |
Fairhall, S. L.*1
; Hamm, J. P.1
; Kirk, I. J.1
1Res. Centre for Cog. Neurosci., Univ. of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Primary Theme and Topics |
Cognition and Behavior - Human Cognition, Behavior, and Anatomy -- Attention |
| Secondary Theme and Topics | Cognition and Behavior<br />- Human Cognition, Behavior, and Anatomy<br />-- Language |
| Session: |
767. Attention V Poster |
| Presentation Time: | Tuesday, October 26, 2004 1:00 PM-2:00 PM |
| Location: | San Diego Convention Center - Hall A-H, Board # GG9 |
| Keywords: | CONSCIOUSNESS, EEG, Masked Priming, Subliminal Perception |
Studies of unconscious priming have shown that even if the presentation of a prime is not accompanied by conscious awareness it can alter responses to a subsequently present target stimuli. This remains true even if the only relationship between prime and target is of a semantic nature. This has been taken as evidence of highly abstract information extraction during unconscious word perception. A new approach to investigating the level of information extracted from unperceived stimuli was employed to search for evidence that word meaning is extracted from masked stimuli. The traditional approach is to present masked stimuli below the level of reported perception and measure the influence on an indirect task, such a subsequent lexical decision performance. The present technique employs electroencephalography to directly contrast the evoked response of two classes of stimuli both presented below the level of conscious perception. Using this technique, not only demonstrated that the brain differentiates between unconsciously presented words and their letter string counterparts, but also permitted the imaging of brain activity associated with the extraction of abstract information above the level of the letter. This analysis revealed that abstract information extraction occurs passively, in a single detectable stage and occurs earlier than is typically associated with overt tasks and conscious presentation. The fact that the same pattern was not observed during the passive viewing of visible words is also discussed.
Sample Citation:
[Authors]. [Abstract Title]. Program No. XXX.XX. 2004 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. San Diego, CA: Society for Neuroscience, 2004. Online.
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