@phdthesis{Blaser2024, author = {Blaser, Berenike Lisa}, title = {Premenstrual symptoms as a function of altered central autonomous nervous activity}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-64597}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-645970}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {XII, 265}, year = {2024}, abstract = {The experience of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects up to 90\% of individuals with an active menstrual cycle and involves a spectrum of aversive physiological and psychological symptoms in the days leading up to menstruation (Tschudin et al., 2010). Despite its high prevalence, the precise origins of PMS remain elusive, with influences ranging from hormonal fluctuations to cognitive, social, and cultural factors (Hunter, 2007; Matsumoto et al., 2013). Biologically, hormonal fluctuations, particularly in gonadal steroids, are commonly believed to be implicated in PMS, with the central factor being varying susceptibilities to the fluctuations between individuals and cycles (Rapkin \& Akopians, 2012). Allopregnanolone (ALLO), a neuroactive steroid and progesterone metabolite, has emerged as a potential link to PMS symptoms (Hantsoo \& Epperson, 2020). ALLO is a positive allosteric modulator of the GABAA receptor, influencing inhibitory communication (Rupprecht, 2003; Andr{\´e}en et al., 2006). Different susceptibility to ALLO fluctuations throughout the cycle may lead to reduced GABAergic signal transmission during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The GABAergic system's broad influence leads to a number of affected physiological systems, including a consistent reduction in vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) during the luteal phase (Schmalenberger et al., 2019). This reduction in vmHRV is more pronounced in individuals with high PMS symptoms (Baker et al., 2008; Matsumoto et al., 2007). Fear conditioning studies have shown inconsistent associations with cycle phases, suggesting a complex interplay between physiological parameters and PMS-related symptoms (Carpenter et al., 2022; Epperson et al., 2007; Milad et al., 2006). The neurovisceral integration model posits that vmHRV reflects the capacity of the central autonomous network (CAN), which is responsible for regulatory processes on behavioral, cognitive, and autonomous levels (Thayer \& Lane, 2000, 2009). Fear learning, mediated within the CAN, is suggested to be indicative of vmHRV's capacity for successful VI regulation (Battaglia \& Thayer, 2022). Given the GABAergic mediation of central inhibitory functional connectivity in the CAN, which may be affected by ALLO fluctuations, this thesis proposes that fluctuating CAN activity in the luteal phase contributes to diverse aversive symptoms in PMS. A research program was designed to empirically test these propositions. Study 1 investigated fear discrimination during different menstrual cycle phases and its interaction with vmHRV, revealing nuanced effects on acoustic startle response and skin conductance response. While there was heightened fear discrimination in acoustic startle responses in participants in the luteal phase, there was an interaction between menstrual cycle phase and vmHRV in skin conductance responses. In this measure, heightened fear discrimination during the luteal phase was only visible in individuals with high resting vmHRV; those with low vmHRV showed reduced fear discrimination and higher overall responses. Despite affecting the vast majority of menstruating people, there are very limited tools available to reliably assess these symptoms in the German speaking area. Study 2 aimed at closing this gap, by translating and validating a German version of the short version of the Premenstrual Assessment Form (Allen et al., 1991), providing a reliable tool for future investigations, which closes the gap in PMS questionnaires in the German-speaking research area. Study 3 employed a diary study paradigm to explore daily associations between vmHRV and PMS symptoms. The results showed clear simultaneous fluctuations between the two constructs with a peak in PMS and a low point in vmHRV a few days before menstruation onset. The association between vmHRV and PMS was driven by psychological PMS symptoms. Based on the theoretical considerations regarding the neurovisceral perspective on PMS, another interesting construct to consider is attentional control, as it is closely related to functions of the CAN. Study 4 delved into attentional control and vmHRV differences between menstrual cycle phases, demonstrating an interaction between cycle phase and PMS symptoms. In a pilot, we found reduced vmHRV and attentional control during the luteal phase only in participants who reported strong PMS. While Studies 1-4 provided evidence for the mechanisms underlying PMS, Studies 5 and 6 investigated short- and long-term intervention protocols to ameliorate PMS symptomatology. Study 5 explored the potential of heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) in alleviating PMS symptoms and a number of other outcome measures. In a waitlist-control design, participants underwent a 4-week smartphone-based HRVB intervention. The results revealed positive effects on PMS, with larger effect sizes on psychological symptoms, as well as on depressive symptoms, anxiety/stress and attentional control. Finally, Study 6 examined the acute effects of HRVB on attentional control. The study found positive impact but only in highly stressed individuals. The thesis, based on this comprehensive research program, expands our understanding of PMS as an outcome of CAN fluctuations mediated by GABAA receptor reactivity. The results largely support the model. These findings not only deepen our understanding of PMS but also offer potential avenues for therapeutic interventions. The promising results of smartphone-based HRVB training suggest a non-pharmacological approach to managing PMS symptoms, although further research is needed to confirm its efficacy. In conclusion, this thesis illuminates the complex web of factors contributing to PMS, providing valuable insights into its etiological underpinnings and potential interventions. By elucidating the relationships between hormonal fluctuations, CAN activity, and psychological responses, this research contributes to more effective treatments for individuals grappling with the challenges of PMS. The findings hold promise for improving the quality of life for those affected by this prevalent and often debilitating condition.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schwetlick2023, author = {Schwetlick, Lisa}, title = {Data assimilation for neurocognitive models of eye movement}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-59828}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-598280}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {x, 209}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Visual perception is a complex and dynamic process that plays a crucial role in how we perceive and interact with the world. The eyes move in a sequence of saccades and fixations, actively modulating perception by moving different parts of the visual world into focus. Eye movement behavior can therefore offer rich insights into the underlying cognitive mechanisms and decision processes. Computational models in combination with a rigorous statistical framework are critical for advancing our understanding in this field, facilitating the testing of theory-driven predictions and accounting for observed data. In this thesis, I investigate eye movement behavior through the development of two mechanistic, generative, and theory-driven models. The first model is based on experimental research regarding the distribution of attention, particularly around the time of a saccade, and explains statistical characteristics of scan paths. The second model implements a self-avoiding random walk within a confining potential to represent the microscopic fixational drift, which is present even while the eye is at rest, and investigates the relationship to microsaccades. Both models are implemented in a likelihood-based framework, which supports the use of data assimilation methods to perform Bayesian parameter inference at the level of individual participants, analyses of the marginal posteriors of the interpretable parameters, model comparisons, and posterior predictive checks. The application of these methods enables a thorough investigation of individual variability in the space of parameters. Results show that dynamical modeling and the data assimilation framework are highly suitable for eye movement research and, more generally, for cognitive modeling.}, language = {en} } @article{MeixnerNixonLaubrock2022, author = {Meixner, Johannes M. and Nixon, Jessie S. and Laubrock, Jochen}, title = {The perceptual span is dynamically adjusted in response to foveal load by beginning readers}, series = {Journal of experimental psychology : general}, volume = {151}, journal = {Journal of experimental psychology : general}, number = {6}, publisher = {American Psychological Association}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0096-3445}, doi = {10.1037/xge0001140}, pages = {1219 -- 1232}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The perceptual span describes the size of the visual field from which information is obtained during a fixation in reading. Its size depends on characteristics of writing system and reader, but-according to the foveal load hypothesis-it is also adjusted dynamically as a function of lexical processing difficulty. Using the moving window paradigm to manipulate the amount of preview, here we directly test whether the perceptual span shrinks as foveal word difficulty increases. We computed the momentary size of the span from word-based eye-movement measures as a function of foveal word frequency, allowing us to separately describe the perceptual span for information affecting spatial saccade targeting and temporal saccade execution. First fixation duration and gaze duration on the upcoming (parafoveal) word N + 1 were significantly shorter when the current (foveal) word N was more frequent. We show that the word frequency effect is modulated by window size. Fixation durations on word N + 1 decreased with high-frequency words N, but only for large windows, that is, when sufficient parafoveal preview was available. This provides strong support for the foveal load hypothesis. To investigate the development of the foveal load effect, we analyzed data from three waves of a longitudinal study on the perceptual span with German children in Grades 1 to 6. Perceptual span adjustment emerged early in development at around second grade and remained stable in later grades. We conclude that the local modulation of the perceptual span indicates a general cognitive process, perhaps an attentional gradient with rapid readjustment.}, language = {en} } @article{ChandraKruegelEngbert2020, author = {Chandra, Johan and Kr{\"u}gel, Andr{\´e} and Engbert, Ralf}, title = {Modulation of oculomotor control during reading of mirrored and inverted texts}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, publisher = {Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-60833-6}, pages = {15}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The interplay between cognitive and oculomotor processes during reading can be explored when the spatial layout of text deviates from the typical display. In this study, we investigate various eye-movement measures during reading of text with experimentally manipulated layout (word-wise and letter-wise mirrored-reversed text as well as inverted and scrambled text). While typical findings (e.g., longer mean fixation times, shorter mean saccades lengths) in reading manipulated texts compared to normal texts were reported in earlier work, little is known about changes of oculomotor targeting observed in within-word landing positions under the above text layouts. Here we carry out precise analyses of landing positions and find substantial changes in the so-called launch-site effect in addition to the expected overall slow-down of reading performance. Specifically, during reading of our manipulated text conditions with reversed letter order (against overall reading direction), we find a reduced launch-site effect, while in all other manipulated text conditions, we observe an increased launch-site effect. Our results clearly indicate that the oculomotor system is highly adaptive when confronted with unusual reading conditions.}, language = {en} } @misc{ChandraKruegelEngbert2020, author = {Chandra, Johan and Kr{\"u}gel, Andr{\´e} and Engbert, Ralf}, title = {Modulation of oculomotor control during reading of mirrored and inverted texts}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {659}, issn = {1866-8364}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-49487}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-494879}, pages = {17}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The interplay between cognitive and oculomotor processes during reading can be explored when the spatial layout of text deviates from the typical display. In this study, we investigate various eye-movement measures during reading of text with experimentally manipulated layout (word-wise and letter-wise mirrored-reversed text as well as inverted and scrambled text). While typical findings (e.g., longer mean fixation times, shorter mean saccades lengths) in reading manipulated texts compared to normal texts were reported in earlier work, little is known about changes of oculomotor targeting observed in within-word landing positions under the above text layouts. Here we carry out precise analyses of landing positions and find substantial changes in the so-called launch-site effect in addition to the expected overall slow-down of reading performance. Specifically, during reading of our manipulated text conditions with reversed letter order (against overall reading direction), we find a reduced launch-site effect, while in all other manipulated text conditions, we observe an increased launch-site effect. Our results clearly indicate that the oculomotor system is highly adaptive when confronted with unusual reading conditions.}, language = {en} } @article{ChandraKruegelEngbert2020, author = {Chandra, Johan and Kr{\"u}gel, Andr{\´e} and Engbert, Ralf}, title = {Experimental test of Bayesian saccade targeting under reversed reading direction}, series = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics}, volume = {82}, journal = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York, NY}, issn = {1943-393X}, doi = {10.3758/s13414-019-01814-4}, pages = {1230 -- 1240}, year = {2020}, abstract = {During reading, rapid eye movements (saccades) shift the reader's line of sight from one word to another for high-acuity visual information processing. While experimental data and theoretical models show that readers aim at word centers, the eye-movement (oculomotor) accuracy is low compared to other tasks. As a consequence, distributions of saccadic landing positions indicate large (i) random errors and (ii) systematic over- and undershoot of word centers, which additionally depend on saccade lengths (McConkie et al.Visual Research, 28(10), 1107-1118,1988). Here we show that both error components can be simultaneously reduced by reading texts from right to left in German language (N= 32). We used our experimental data to test a Bayesian model of saccade planning. First, experimental data are consistent with the model. Second, the model makes specific predictions of the effects of the precision of prior and (sensory) likelihood. Our results suggest that it is a more precise sensory likelihood that can explain the reduction of both random and systematic error components.}, language = {en} } @article{AdamElsner2020, author = {Adam, Maurits and Elsner, Birgit}, title = {The impact of salient action effects on 6-, 7-, and 11-month-olds' goal-predictive gaze shifts for a human grasping action}, series = {PLOS ONE}, volume = {15}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {10}, publisher = {Public Library of Science}, address = {San Fransisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0240165}, pages = {18}, year = {2020}, abstract = {When infants observe a human grasping action, experience-based accounts predict that all infants familiar with grasping actions should be able to predict the goal regardless of additional agency cues such as an action effect. Cue-based accounts, however, suggest that infants use agency cues to identify and predict action goals when the action or the agent is not familiar. From these accounts, we hypothesized that younger infants would need additional agency cues such as a salient action effect to predict the goal of a human grasping action, whereas older infants should be able to predict the goal regardless of agency cues. In three experiments, we presented 6-, 7-, and 11-month-olds with videos of a manual grasping action presented either with or without an additional salient action effect (Exp. 1 and 2), or we presented 7-month-olds with videos of a mechanical claw performing a grasping action presented with a salient action effect (Exp. 3). The 6-month-olds showed tracking gaze behavior, and the 11-month-olds showed predictive gaze behavior, regardless of the action effect. However, the 7-month-olds showed predictive gaze behavior in the action-effect condition, but tracking gaze behavior in the no-action-effect condition and in the action-effect condition with a mechanical claw. The results therefore support the idea that salient action effects are especially important for infants' goal predictions from 7 months on, and that this facilitating influence of action effects is selective for the observation of human hands.}, language = {en} } @article{HatukaiAlgomFischer2020, author = {Hatukai, Tatiana and Algom, Daniel and Fischer, Martin H.}, title = {Rodin has it!}, series = {Acta psychologica : international journal of psychonomics}, volume = {210}, journal = {Acta psychologica : international journal of psychonomics}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam [u.a.]}, issn = {0001-6918}, doi = {10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103160}, pages = {6}, year = {2020}, abstract = {We report a new discovery on the role of hands in guiding attention, using the classic Stroop effect as our assay. We show that the Stroop effect diminishes, hence selective attention improves, when observers hold their chin, emulating Rodin's famous sculpture, "The Thinker." In two experiments we show that the Rodin posture improves the selectivity of attention as efficiently as holding the hands nearby the visual stimulus (the near-hands effect). Because spatial proximity to the displayed stimulus is neither present nor intended, the presence of the Rodin effect implies that attentional prioritization by the hands is not limited to the space between the hands.}, language = {en} } @misc{DolcosKatsumiMooreetal.2019, author = {Dolcos, Florin and Katsumi, Yuta and Moore, Matthew and Berggren, Nick and de Gelder, Beatrice and Derakshan, Nazanin and Hamm, Alfons O. and Koster, Ernst H. W. and Ladouceur, Cecile D. and Okon-Singer, Hadas and Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {Neural correlates of emotion-attention interactions}, series = {Zweitver{\"o}ffentlichungen der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Zweitver{\"o}ffentlichungen der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, issn = {1866-8364}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-51621}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-516213}, pages = {45}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Due to their ability to capture attention, emotional stimuli tend to benefit from enhanced perceptual processing, which can be helpful when such stimuli are task-relevant but hindering when they are task-irrelevant. Altered emotion-attention interactions have been associated with symptoms of affective disturbances, and emerging research focuses on improving emotion-attention interactions to prevent or treat affective disorders. In line with the Human Affectome Project's emphasis on linguistic components, we also analyzed the language used to describe attention-related aspects of emotion, and highlighted terms related to domains such as conscious awareness, motivational effects of attention, social attention, and emotion regulation. These terms were discussed within a broader review of available evidence regarding the neural correlates of (1) Emotion-Attention Interactions in Perception, (2) Emotion-Attention Interactions in Learning and Memory, (3) Individual Differences in Emotion-Attention Interactions, and (4) Training and Interventions to Optimize Emotion-Attention Interactions. This comprehensive approach enabled an integrative overview of the current knowledge regarding the mechanisms of emotion-attention interactions at multiple levels of analysis, and identification of emerging directions for future investigations.}, language = {en} } @article{DolcosKatsumiMooreetal.2019, author = {Dolcos, Florin and Katsumi, Yuta and Moore, Matthew and Berggren, Nick and de Gelder, Beatrice and Derakshan, Nazanin and Hamm, Alfons O. and Koster, Ernst H. W. and Ladouceur, Cecile D. and Okon-Singer, Hadas and Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {Neural correlates of emotion-attention interactions}, series = {Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews}, volume = {108}, journal = {Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0149-7634}, doi = {10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.017}, pages = {559 -- 601}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Due to their ability to capture attention, emotional stimuli tend to benefit from enhanced perceptual processing, which can be helpful when such stimuli are task-relevant but hindering when they are task-irrelevant. Altered emotion-attention interactions have been associated with symptoms of affective disturbances, and emerging research focuses on improving emotion-attention interactions to prevent or treat affective disorders. In line with the Human Affectome Project's emphasis on linguistic components, we also analyzed the language used to describe attention-related aspects of emotion, and highlighted terms related to domains such as conscious awareness, motivational effects of attention, social attention, and emotion regulation. These terms were discussed within a broader review of available evidence regarding the neural correlates of (1) Emotion-Attention Interactions in Perception, (2) Emotion-Attention Interactions in Learning and Memory, (3) Individual Differences in Emotion-Attention Interactions, and (4) Training and Interventions to Optimize Emotion-Attention Interactions. This comprehensive approach enabled an integrative overview of the current knowledge regarding the mechanisms of emotion-attention interactions at multiple levels of analysis, and identification of emerging directions for future investigations.}, language = {en} } @article{WirknerVenturaBortSchulzetal.2018, author = {Wirkner, Janine and Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Schulz, Paul and Hamm, Alfons O. and Weymar, Mathias}, title = {Event-related potentials of emotional and neutral memories}, series = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, volume = {55}, journal = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, number = {7}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0048-5772}, doi = {10.1111/psyp.13069}, pages = {12}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Previous research found that memory is not only better for emotional information but also for neutral information that has been encoded in the context of an emotional event. In the present ERP study, we investigated two factors that may influence memory for neutral and emotional items: temporal proximity between emotional and neutral items during encoding, and retention interval (immediate vs. delayed). Forty-nine female participants incidentally encoded 36 unpleasant and 108 neutral pictures (36 neutral pictures preceded an unpleasant picture, 36 followed an unpleasant picture, and 36 neutral pictures were preceded and followed by neutral pictures) and participated in a recognition memory task either immediately (N=24) or 1 week (N=25) after encoding. Results showed better memory for emotional pictures relative to neutral pictures. In accordance, enhanced centroparietal old/new differences (500-900 ms) during recognition were observed for unpleasant compared to neutral pictures, most pronounced for the 1-week interval. Picture position effects, however, were only subtle. During encoding, late positive potentials for neutral pictures were slightly lower for neutral pictures following unpleasant ones, but only at trend level. To summarize, we could replicate and extend previous ERP findings showing that emotionally arousing events are better recollected than neutral events, particularly when memory is tested after longer retention intervals. Picture position during encoding, however, had only small effects on elaborative processing and no effects on memory retrieval.}, language = {en} } @article{WirknerWeymarLoewetal.2017, author = {Wirkner, Janine and Weymar, Mathias and Loew, Andreas and Hamm, Carmen and Struck, Anne-Marie and Kirschbaum, Clemens and Hamm, Alfons O.}, title = {Cognitive functioning and emotion processing in breast cancer survivors and controls: An ERP pilot study}, series = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, volume = {54}, journal = {Psychophysiology : journal of the Society for Psychophysiological Research}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0048-5772}, doi = {10.1111/psyp.12874}, pages = {1209 -- 1222}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is a very emotionally aversive and stressful life event, which can lead to impaired cognitive functioning and mental health. Breast cancer survivors responding with repressive emotion regulation strategies often show less adaptive coping and adverse outcomes. We investigated cognitive functioning and neural correlates of emotion processing using ERPs. Self-report measures of depression, anxiety, and fatigue, as well as hair cortisol as an index of chronic stress, were assessed. Twenty breast cancer survivors (BCS) and 31 carefully matched healthy controls participated in the study. After neuropsychological testing and subjective assessments, participants viewed 30 neutral, 30 unpleasant, and 30 pleasant pictures, and ERPs were recorded. Recognition memory was tested 1 week later. BCS reported stronger complaints about cognitive impairments and more symptoms of depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Moreover, they showed elevated hair cortisol levels. Except for verbal memory, cognitive functioning was predominantly in the normative range. Recognition memory performance was decreased in cancer survivors, especially for emotional contents. In ERPs, survivors showed smaller late positive potential amplitudes for unpleasant pictures relative to controls in a later time window, which may indicate less elaborative processing of this material. Taken together, we found cognitive impairments in BCS in verbal memory, impaired emotional picture memory accuracy, and reduced neural activity when breast cancer survivors were confronted with unpleasant materials. Further studies and larger sample sizes, however, are needed to evaluate the relationship between altered emotion processing and reduced memory in BCS in order to develop new treatment strategies.}, language = {en} } @misc{WiemersFischer2016, author = {Wiemers, Michael and Fischer, Martin H.}, title = {Effects of hand proximity and movement direction in spatial and temporal gap discrimination}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {428}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-406568}, pages = {10}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Previous research on the interplay between static manual postures and visual attention revealed enhanced visual selection near the hands (near-hand effect). During active movements there is also superior visual performance when moving toward compared to away from the stimulus (direction effect). The "modulated visual pathways" hypothesis argues that differential involvement of magno- and parvocellular visual processing streams causes the near-hand effect. The key finding supporting this hypothesis is an increase in temporal and a reduction in spatial processing in near-hand space (Gozli et al., 2012). Since this hypothesis has, so far, only been tested with static hand postures, we provide a conceptual replication of Gozli et al.'s (2012) result with moving hands, thus also probing the generality of the direction effect. Participants performed temporal or spatial gap discriminations while their right hand was moving below the display. In contrast to Gozli et al (2012), temporal gap discrimination was superior at intermediate and not near hand proximity. In spatial gap discrimination, a direction effect without hand proximity effect suggests that pragmatic attentional maps overshadowed temporal/spatial processing biases for far/near-hand space.}, language = {en} } @misc{CajarSchneeweissEngelbertetal.2016, author = {Cajar, Anke and Schneeweiß, Paul and Engelbert, Ralf and Laubrock, Jochen}, title = {Coupling of attention and saccades when viewing scenes with central and peripheral degradation}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-394918}, pages = {19}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Degrading real-world scenes in the central or the peripheral visual field yields a characteristic pattern: Mean saccade amplitudes increase with central and decrease with peripheral degradation. Does this pattern reflect corresponding modulations of selective attention? If so, the observed saccade amplitude pattern should reflect more focused attention in the central region with peripheral degradation and an attentional bias toward the periphery with central degradation. To investigate this hypothesis, we measured the detectability of peripheral (Experiment 1) or central targets (Experiment 2) during scene viewing when low or high spatial frequencies were gaze-contingently filtered in the central or the peripheral visual field. Relative to an unfiltered control condition, peripheral filtering induced a decrease of the detection probability for peripheral but not for central targets (tunnel vision). Central filtering decreased the detectability of central but not of peripheral targets. Additional post hoc analyses are compatible with the interpretation that saccade amplitudes and direction are computed in partial independence. Our experimental results indicate that task-induced modulations of saccade amplitudes reflect attentional modulations.}, language = {en} } @article{CajarSchneeweissEngbertetal.2016, author = {Cajar, Anke and Schneeweiß, Paul and Engbert, Ralf and Laubrock, Jochen}, title = {Coupling of attention and saccades when viewing scenes with central and peripheral degradation}, series = {Journal of Vision}, volume = {16}, journal = {Journal of Vision}, number = {2}, publisher = {ARVO}, address = {Rockville, Md.}, issn = {1534-7362}, doi = {10.1167/16.2.8}, pages = {1 -- 19}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Degrading real-world scenes in the central or the peripheral visual field yields a characteristic pattern: Mean saccade amplitudes increase with central and decrease with peripheral degradation. Does this pattern reflect corresponding modulations of selective attention? If so, the observed saccade amplitude pattern should reflect more focused attention in the central region with peripheral degradation and an attentional bias toward the periphery with central degradation. To investigate this hypothesis, we measured the detectability of peripheral (Experiment 1) or central targets (Experiment 2) during scene viewing when low or high spatial frequencies were gaze-contingently filtered in the central or the peripheral visual field. Relative to an unfiltered control condition, peripheral filtering induced a decrease of the detection probability for peripheral but not for central targets (tunnel vision). Central filtering decreased the detectability of central but not of peripheral targets. Additional post hoc analyses are compatible with the interpretation that saccade amplitudes and direction are computed in partial independence. Our experimental results indicate that task-induced modulations of saccade amplitudes reflect attentional modulations.}, language = {en} } @article{EngbertTrukenbrodBarthelmeetal.2015, author = {Engbert, Ralf and Trukenbrod, Hans Arne and Barthelme, Simon and Wichmann, Felix A.}, title = {Spatial statistics and attentional dynamics in scene viewing}, series = {Journal of vision}, volume = {15}, journal = {Journal of vision}, number = {1}, publisher = {Association for Research in Vision and Opthalmology}, address = {Rockville}, issn = {1534-7362}, doi = {10.1167/15.1.14}, pages = {17}, year = {2015}, abstract = {In humans and in foveated animals visual acuity is highly concentrated at the center of gaze, so that choosing where to look next is an important example of online, rapid decision-making. Computational neuroscientists have developed biologically-inspired models of visual attention, termed saliency maps, which successfully predict where people fixate on average. Using point process theory for spatial statistics, we show that scanpaths contain, however, important statistical structure, such as spatial clustering on top of distributions of gaze positions. Here, we develop a dynamical model of saccadic selection that accurately predicts the distribution of gaze positions as well as spatial clustering along individual scanpaths. Our model relies on activation dynamics via spatially-limited (foveated) access to saliency information, and, second, a leaky memory process controlling the re-inspection of target regions. This theoretical framework models a form of context-dependent decision-making, linking neural dynamics of attention to behavioral gaze data.}, language = {en} } @unpublished{FischerKnops2014, author = {Fischer, Martin H. and Knops, Andre}, title = {Attentional cueing in numerical cognition}, series = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {5}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01381}, pages = {3}, year = {2014}, language = {en} } @unpublished{KucianPlanggerO'Gormanetal.2013, author = {Kucian, Karin and Plangger, Fabienne and O'Gorman, Ruth and von Aster, Michael G.}, title = {Operational momentum effect in children with and without developmental dyscalculia}, series = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {4}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, number = {45}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00847}, pages = {3}, year = {2013}, language = {en} } @article{YangWangYanetal.2012, author = {Yang, Jiongjiong and Wang, Aobing and Yan, Ming and Zhu, Zijian and Chen, Cheng and Wang, Yizhou}, title = {Distinct processing for pictures of animals and objects Evidence from eye movements}, series = {Emotion : a new journal from the American Psychological Association}, volume = {12}, journal = {Emotion : a new journal from the American Psychological Association}, number = {3}, publisher = {American Psychological Association}, address = {Washington}, issn = {1528-3542}, doi = {10.1037/a0026848}, pages = {540 -- 551}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Many studies have suggested that emotional stimuli orient and engage attention. There is also evidence that animate stimuli, such as those from humans and animals, cause attentional bias. However, categorical and emotional factors are usually mixed, and it is unclear to what extent human context influences attentional allocation. To address this issue, we tracked participants' eye movements while they viewed pictures with animals and inanimate images (i.e., category) as focal objects. These pictures had either negative or neutral emotional valence, and either human body parts or nonhuman parts were near the focal objects (i.e., context). The picture's valence, arousal, position, size, and most of the low-level visual features were matched across categories. The results showed that nonhuman animals were more likely to be attended to and to be attended to for longer times than inanimate objects. The same pattern held for the human contexts (vs. nonhuman contexts). The effects of emotional valence, category, and context interacted. Specifically, in images with a negative valence, focal animals and objects with human context had comparable numbers of gaze fixations and gaze duration. These results highlighted the attentional bias to animate parts of a picture and clarified that the effects of category, valence, and picture context interacted to influence attentional allocation.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Risse2011, author = {Risse, Sarah}, title = {Processing in the perceptual span : investigations with the n+2-boundary paradigm}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-60414}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Cognitive psychology is traditionally interested in the interaction of perception, cognition, and behavioral control. Investigating eye movements in reading constitutes a field of research in which the processes and interactions of these subsystems can be studied in a well-defined environment. Thereby, the following questions are pursued: How much information is visually perceived during a fixation, how is processing achieved and temporally coordinated from visual letter encoding to final sentence comprehension, and how do such processes reflect on behavior such as the control of the eyes' movements during reading. Various theoretical models have been proposed to account for the specific eye-movement behavior in reading (for a review see Reichle, Rayner, \& Pollatsek, 2003). Some models are based on the idea of shifting attention serially from one word to the next within the sentence whereas others propose distributed attention allocating processing resources to more than one word at a time. As attention is assumed to drive word recognition processes one major difference between these models is that word processing must either occur in strict serial order, or that word processing is achieved in parallel. In spite of this crucial difference in the time course of word processing, both model classes perform well on explaining many of the benchmark effects in reading. In fact, there seems to be not much empirical evidence that challenges the models to a point at which their basic assumptions could be falsified. One issue often perceived as being decisive in the debate on serial and parallel word processing is how not-yet-fixated words to the right of fixation affect eye movements. Specifically, evidence is discussed as to what spatial extent such parafoveal words are previewed and how this influences current and subsequent word processing. Four experiments investigated parafoveal processing close to the spatial limits of the perceptual span. The present work aims to go beyond mere existence proofs of previewing words at such spatial distances. Introducing a manipulation that dissociates the sources of long-range preview effects, benefits and costs of parafoveal processing can be investigated in a single analysis and the differing impact is tracked across a three-word target region. In addition, the same manipulation evaluates the role of oculomotor error as the cause of non-local distributed effects. In this respect, the results contribute to a better understanding of the time course of word processing inside the perceptual span and attention allocation during reading.}, language = {en} }