Latent memory of unattended stimuli reactivated by practice: an FMRI study on the role of consciousness and attention in learning

PLoS One. 2014 Mar 6;9(3):e90098. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090098. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Although we can only report about what is in the focus of our attention, much more than that is actually processed. And even when attended, stimuli may not always be reportable, for instance when they are masked. A stimulus can thus be unreportable for different reasons: the absence of attention or the absence of a conscious percept. But to what extent does the brain learn from exposure to these unreportable stimuli? In this fMRI experiment subjects were exposed to textured figure-ground stimuli, of which reportability was manipulated either by masking (which only interferes with consciousness) or with an inattention paradigm (which only interferes with attention). One day later learning was assessed neurally and behaviorally. Positive neural learning effects were found for stimuli presented in the inattention paradigm; for attended yet masked stimuli negative adaptation effects were found. Interestingly, these inattentional learning effects only became apparent in a second session after a behavioral detection task had been administered during which performance feedback was provided. This suggests that the memory trace that is formed during inattention is latent until reactivated by behavioral practice. However, no behavioral learning effects were found, therefore we cannot conclude that perceptual learning has taken place for these unattended stimuli.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Attention / physiology*
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain / physiology
  • Consciousness / physiology*
  • Electroencephalography / methods
  • Feedback, Psychological / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Learning / physiology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Memory / physiology*
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology
  • Radiography
  • Time Factors
  • Visual Perception / physiology
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This work is supported by funding from the Advanced Investigator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to VAFL (grant number 230355). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.