Positive and Negative Congruency Effects in Masked Priming: A Neuro-computational Model Based on Representation Strength and Attention

Ahmad Sohrabi,Robert West

doi:10.1038/npre.2008.2415.1

Ahmad Sohrabi, Robert West

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/npre.2008.2415.1

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Journal: Nature Precedings	Publication Date: Oct 20, 2008
Citations: 1	License type: CC BY 3.0

Affiliation: University of Kurdistan, Carleton University

Abstract

AbstractPositive priming effects have been found with a short time between the prime and the target, while negative priming effects (i.e., a congruent prime causes longer RTs) have been found with a long time between the prime and the target. In the current study, positive and negative priming effects were found using stimuli that have strong and weak representations, respectively, without changing the time between prime and target. A model was developed that fits our results. The model also fits a wide range of previous results in this area. In contrast to other approaches our model depends on attentional neuro-modulation not motor self-inhibition.

Highlights

Positive and Negative Congruency Effects in Masked Priming: A Neuro-computational Model Based on Representation Strength and Attention
Some researchers[4,15,16], based on Event Related Potential (ERP) measurements and computational modelling, argue that when Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (SOA) is short, response selection can already take place during the initial response activation phase; this is reflected as an early increase in ERP for the congruent compared to incongruent trials, and this should result in the congruency effects in the form of a Positive Congruency Effect (PCE)
A symbol, that has been recently learned as number, primed by a numeral produced an Negative Congruency Effect (NCE) when they were both close to the reference number five

Summary

Introduction

Positive and Negative Congruency Effects in Masked Priming: A Neuro-computational Model Based on Representation Strength and Attention. The PCE has been shown with a short masktarget Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (SOA), while the NCE has been shown with a longer masktarget SOA (e.g., 100 ms) To explain these results, some researchers[4,15,16], based on Event Related Potential (ERP) measurements and computational modelling, argue that when SOA is short, response selection can already take place during the initial response activation phase; this is reflected as an early increase in ERP for the congruent compared to incongruent trials, and this should result in the congruency effects in the form of a PCE. When SOA is longer, responses have to be selected during the subsequent inhibitory phase This is reflected as a late decrease in ERP for congruent compared to incongruent trials, and this should be demonstrated as a negative effect (i.e., NCE). The model is based on previous models that have been used to simulate different tasks such as target detection and simple decisions in monkeys and humans[19,20,21,22]

Methods

Results

Conclusion