Visual attention at the tip of the tongue.

Michael Barnett-Cowan,Matin Soeizi,Joseph F X Desouza

doi:10.1068/i0697sas

Michael Barnett-Cowan, Matin Soeizi + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1068/i0697sas

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Journal: i-Perception	Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015
Citations: 60	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: University of Waterloo, York University

Abstract

The brain shifts attention by selectively modulating sensory information about relevant environmental features. It has been shown that eye, head, trunk and limb position can bias spatial attention. This leads to the interesting question: Does the brain only recruit bodily information that is explicitly related to orienting behaviour to direct attention, or more generally? We tested whether tongue position, which does not explicitly functionally relate to orienting behaviour, biases attention in a visual search task. Thirty-six participants completed three visual search trial blocks of increased difficulty each consisting of three tongue positions for 50 trials. Response times and error rates were used to assess whether tongue position modulates visual attention. Results show that sensorimotor information from the tongue modulates attention in a difficult visual search task: faster responses to visual search targets presented ipsilateral with the tongue; slower responses when contralateral. In line with cognition being generally embodied, the tongue plays a surprising role in directing attention.

Highlights

Why should the tongue modulate attention? Compared with other body parts, the tongue is represented by large primary motor and sensory cortical areas (Penfield & Rasmussen, 1950; Figure 1a)
If a body part not explicitly associated with orienting behaviour biases attention, this would provide compelling evidence of bodily information being generally recruited to direct attention
The tongue is associated as the primary organ of taste, it is used to manipulate items, and is involved in speech production through phonetic articulation, sensorimotor information from the tongue and/or tactile information from the tongue-in-cheek may be recruited by attentional mechanisms known to recruit position information from other body parts to facilitate tasks such as visual search

Summary

Introduction

Why should the tongue modulate attention? Compared with other body parts, the tongue is represented by large primary motor and sensory cortical areas (Penfield & Rasmussen, 1950; Figure 1a). Whether the brain only recruits bodily information that is explicitly related to orienting behaviour to direct attention, or in a general manner is still debated. The position of the eyes, head, limbs and trunk all functionally relate to orienting behaviour when searching visual targets which may confound embodied cognition theory (Wilson, 2002).

Results

Conclusion