Dissociation between temporal attention and Consciousness: Unconscious temporal cue induces temporal expectation effect

Conscious Cogn. 2024 Feb 28;119:103670. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103670. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe debate over the independence of attention and consciousness is ongoing. Prior studies have established that invisible spatial cues can direct attention. However, our exploration extends beyond spatial dimensions to temporal information as a potent guide for attention. A intriguing question arises: Can unconscious temporal cues trigger attentional orienting? To investigate, we employed a modified reaction-time task in Experiments 1 and 2, using Gabor stimuli or human facial stimuli as temporal cues rendered invisible through continuous flash suppression. We aimed to uncover temporal expectation effects (TE effects) without conscious awareness. Moreover, Experiments 3 and 4 probed the boundaries of this unconscious processing, assessing whether conscious temporal cues could modulate TE effects. Our results confirm that invisible temporal cues can induce TE effects, and these effects can be overridden by conscious temporal cues. This dissociation between temporal attention and consciousness provide a new perspective on our understanding of their relationship.PMID:38422759 | DOI:10.1016/j.concog.2024.103670

Source: Consciousness and Cognition - February 29, 2024 Category: Neurology Authors: Xiaowei Ding Huichao Ji Wenhao Yu Luzi Xu Youting Lin Yanliang Sun Source Type: research