Mechanisms of attention selection based on perceptual organization and individual differences

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K00199
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Kasai Tetsuko 北海道大学, 教育学研究院, 教授 (50241427)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 選択的注意 / 知覚の体制化 / 物体 / 時間 / 脳波 / 事象関連電位 / 発達障害 / 性差

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fragmentary sensory inputs are organized according to stimulus and knowledge　factors,and forming figure region (object) from the background is fundamental for cognition. This research obtained findings regarding its basic mechanisms and individual differences as follows.
1. Multiple stages of processing regarding three aspects of perceptual organization (visual grouping by feature similarity, object based on learning such as letter, letter-string, visual word, and figure enhancement with subjective contours) were visualized by event-related potential and the stages on which attention operates were specified.
2. In the above investigations, some processes were found to vary with the extent of symptoms of autism-spectrum disorders (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), and sex in healthy participants.

Free Research Field

認知神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

１．ヒトの視覚皮質における潜在的な統合的処理過程を可視化するための複数の新たな実験方法を開拓した。
２．主にボトムアップ処理と考えられてきた諸過程への注意の影響を明らかにしたことで、視覚情報処理過程とその個人差の仕組みについての新しい見方を提供できる。
３．とくに健常者における発達障害傾向の影響に関する知見は、発達障害学で指摘されてきた定型発達と非定型発達の連続性を支持するとともに、ASDとADHDにおける知覚・注意機能における新たな側面の理解向上と、アセスメント法の開発に寄与できる。