Graded Visual Consciousness During the Attentional Blink

Summary

Conscious perception during the attentional blink appears to be a graded rather than an all-or-none phenomenon. In an event-related potential study with 32 participants, detection of face targets was assessed using objective accuracy, subjective visibility ratings, and brain responses. Behavioral results showed a graded pattern of visual awareness, and corresponding graded differences were observed in the N1, N2, and P3 brain components across visibility levels. These findings suggest that conscious perception during the attentional blink can occur in a graded fashion.

Study at a glance

Abstract

One of the ongoing debates about visual consciousness is whether it can be considered as an all-or-none or a graded phenomenon. This may depend on the experimental paradigm and the task used to investigate this question. The present event-related potential study (N = 32) focuses on the attentional blink paradigm for which so far only little and mixed evidence is available. Detection of T2 face targets during the attentional blink was assessed via an objective accuracy measure (reporting the faces’ gender), subjective visibility on a perceptual awareness scale (PAS) as well as event-related potentials time-locked to T2 onset (components P1, N1, N2, and P3). The behavioral results indicate a graded rather than an all-or-none pattern of visual awareness. Corresponding graded differences in the N1, N2, and P3 components were observed for the comparison of visibility levels. These findings suggest that conscious perception during the attentional blink can occur in a graded fashion.