Dissociation of processing time and awareness by the inattentional blindness paradigm.
Shih-Yu Lo, Su-Ling Yeh
Consciousness and Cognition May 7, 2008 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2008.03.020 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Humans Orientation Awareness Discrimination learning Perceptual masking Field dependence-independence Pattern recognition, visual Time perception Attention Dissociative disorders Psychometrics |
| Key findings | Implicit texture segregation occurred during inattentional blindness when the texture was exposed for a sufficient duration, whereas a Simon effect did not occur during inattentional blindness even with similar exposure duration. The authors argue this dissociation between processing time and awareness is consistent with the possibility of separate processing streams for explicit and implicit visual perception. |
Abstract
Consciousness researchers are interested in distinguishing between mental activity that occurs with and without awareness (i.e., explicit versus implicit processes). The inattentional blindness (IB) paradigm is an excellent tool for this question because it permits the independent manipulation of processing time and awareness. In the present study, we show that implicit texture segregation can occur during inattentional blindness, provided that the texture is exposed for a sufficient duration. In contrast, a Simon effect does not occur during inattentional blindness, even with similar exposure duration of the critical stimulus. This reveals a dissociation between processing time and awareness, consistent with the possibility of separate processing streams for explicit and implicit visual perception.