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The instructed context of a motor task modulates covert response preparation and shifts of spatial attention
Author(s) -
Gherri Elena,
Van Velzen José,
Eimer Martin
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2009.00800.x
Subject(s) - psychology , covert , context (archaeology) , cognitive psychology , task (project management) , cognitive science , communication , developmental psychology , linguistics , paleontology , philosophy , management , economics , biology
We investigated how covert response preparation is modulated by the instructed cognitive context of a motor task. Participants prepared left‐hand or right‐hand movements toward or away from the body midline, as indicated by a response cue (S1) presented prior to a go/no‐go stimulus (S2). Different participants were instructed that response cues specified the response hand or movement direction, respectively. This emphasis on effector versus movement direction selection modulated lateralized ERP components triggered during the S1–S2 interval. Attention shifts during movement preparation were assessed by measuring ERPs to irrelevant visual probes. Enhanced N1 components were found for probes near the effector when effector selection was emphasized, but for probes near the movement target location when movement direction selection was emphasized. Results demonstrate strong top‐down contextual biases on motor control and on the locus of spatial attention during response preparation.