Neural correlates of metacontrast masking across different contrast polarities

Date

2021-03-01

Author

Aydın, Alaz
Kafaligonul, Hulusi

Metadata

Show full item record

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Item Usage Stats

243
views

0
downloads

Metacontrast masking is a powerful illusion to investigate the dynamics of perceptual processing and to control conscious visual perception. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this fundamental investigative tool are still debated. In the present study, we examined metacontrast masking across different contrast polarities by employing a contour discrimination task combined with EEG (Electroencephalography). When the target and mask had the same contrast polarity, a typical U-shaped metacontrast function was observed. A change in mask polarity (i.e., opposite mask polarity) shifted this masking function to a monotonic increasing function such that the target visibility was strongly suppressed at stimulus onset asynchronies less than 50 ms. This transition in metacontrast function has been typically interpreted as an increase in intrachannel inhibition of the sustained activities functionally linked to object visibility and identity. Our EEG analyses revealed an early (160-300 ms) and a late (300-550 ms) spatiotemporal cluster associated with this effect of polarity. The early cluster was mainly over occipital and parieto-occipital scalp sites. On the other hand, the later modulations of the evoked activities were centered over parietal and centro-parietal sites. Since both of these clusters were beyond 160 ms, the EEG results point to late recurrent inhibitory mechanisms. Although the findings here do not directly preclude other proposed mechanisms for metacontrast, they highlight the involvement of recurrent intrachannel inhibition in metacontrast masking.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/90029

Journal

BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-021-02260-5

Collections

Graduate School of Informatics, Article

Suggestions

OpenMETU
Core

Cortical processes underlying metacontrast masking across different contrast polarities Aydın, Alaz; Çakır, Murat Perit; Kafalıgönül, Hacı Hulusi; Department of Cognitive Sciences (2018) In this study a metacontrast masking experiment is conducted together with electroencephalography (EEG) recordings in order to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying visual masking phenomena. We employed a contour detection task under same and opposite target-mask contrast polarity conditions, together with varying stimulus onset asynchronies (SOA). Behavioral experiments resulted in unimodal type-A and type-B backward masking functions for opposite and same contrast polarity conditions, respectively....
Recurrence quantification analysis of group eye tracking data Tajaddini, Mani; Acartürk, Cengiz; Department of Cognitive Sciences (2018) Eye movements can provide insight into the cognitive processes behind them. To study group cognition through investigating eye movements, we have developed a software tool (GETapp) to collect eye movement data from groups of participants performing a task on a set of computers in the scope of the Group Eye Tracking (GET) paradigm. Like many real-world systems, the data from group eye tracking experiments are non-linear. We have developed a software tool, a package for the R programming language, called the ...
Psychological distress among university students: the role of mindfulness, decentering, reappraisal and emotion regulation Kaynakci, Fatma Zehra Unlu; Güneri, Oya (2022-02-01) This study sheds light on the extent to which the five facets of mindfulness (observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreactivity), decentering, and reappraisal predict psychological distress via emotion regulation difficulties. The study sample is comprised of 620 undergraduate students (429 females and 191 males). The participants' ages range between 18 and 30 years (M-age = 21.88, SD = 1.68). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed model, which explain...
Predictors of rumination and co-rumination: the role of attachment dimensions, self-compassion and self-esteem Bugay-Sokmez, Asli; Manuoglu, Elif; Coşkun, Muhammet; Sumer, Nebi (2021-05-01) This study systematically examined the unique, mediating, and moderating effects of fundamental attachment dimensions (anxiety and avoidance), self-esteem, and self-compassion on the dimensions of rumination (brooding and reflection) and co-rumination. Turkish university students (N = 510) completed the measures of the major variables. Results revealed that attachment anxiety (but not attachment avoidance) and self-esteem predicted both dimensions of ruminations. Self-compassion predicted the brooding dimen...
Spatial attributes of learning environments that catalyze the mental and socio-psychological factors enhancing design students’ creativity Atak Akbulut, Hazal; Ataöv Demirkan, Anlı; Department of City and Regional Planning (2014) This study aims at extracting the relationality of spatial attributes with the mental and socio-psychological attributes that enhance the process of creativity. To do this, the study investigates these attributes and the generation of a creative act, defined as novel and valuable. In this way, the study aims at reaching the spatial attributes which can be implemented in designing a creativity stimulating environment. Previous studies describe creativity as a social process. In the various phases of this pro...

Citation Formats

A. Aydın and H. Kafaligonul, “Neural correlates of metacontrast masking across different contrast polarities,” BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION, pp. 0–0, 2021, Accessed: 00, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://hdl.handle.net/11511/90029.