Premium
ERP correlates of the irrelevant sound effect
Author(s) -
Bell Raoul,
Dentale Sandra,
Buchner Axel,
Mayr Susanne
Publication year - 2010
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.1469-8986.2010.01029.x
Subject(s) - p3a , psychology , recall , mismatch negativity , encoding (memory) , cognitive psychology , distraction , audiology , serial position effect , electroencephalography , late positive component , free recall , event related potential , neuroscience , medicine
The irrelevant sound effect refers to a decrement in serial‐recall performance when auditory distractors are played during encoding or retention of the to‐be‐remembered items. We examined the event‐related brain potentials (ERPs) that were elicited in response to the auditory distractors during encoding and retention of visually presented target sequences. Changing‐state distractor sequences that consisted of several different distractor items interfered more with serial recall than steady‐state sequences that consisted of repetitions of a single distractor item. The ERP responses that were elicited in response to the distractors comprised the exogenous N1 component and were further characterized by a subsequent positive wave, and a late negativity. The changing‐state effect was associated with an increased N1 and a P3a. The results support the attention‐capture account of the irrelevant sound effect.