The course of visual searching to a target in a fixed location: electrophysiological evidence from an emotional flanker task

Neurosci Lett. 2009 Aug 21;460(1):1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2009.05.025. Epub 2009 May 14.

Abstract

The present study investigated the course of visual searching to a target in a fixed location, using an emotional flanker task. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while participants performed the task. Emotional facial expressions were used as emotion-eliciting triggers. The course of visual searching was analyzed through the emotional effects arising from these emotion-eliciting stimuli. The flanker stimuli showed effects at about 150-250 ms following the stimulus onset, while the effect of target stimuli showed effects at about 300-400 ms. The visual search sequence in an emotional flanker task moved from a whole overview to a specific target, even if the target always appeared at a known location. The processing sequence was "parallel" in this task. The results supported the feature integration theory of visual search.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Attention / physiology*
  • Electroencephalography
  • Electrooculography / methods
  • Emotions / physiology*
  • Evoked Potentials, Visual / physiology*
  • Female
  • Fixation, Ocular / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology
  • Photic Stimulation / methods
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Young Adult