Abstract
In the present experiment we used a version of the attention network test (ANT) similar to that of Callejas et al. (Exp Brain Res 167:27–37, 2005) to assess the Posner’s attention networks (alerting, orienting and conflict), and their interactions. We observed shorter reaction times with alerting tone than with no alerting tone trials (the alerting effect); with cued than with uncued trials (the orienting effect); and with congruent than with incongruent trials (the conflict effect). These results replicate previous findings with the ANT. We also manipulated cue–target interval at five stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) values (100, 300, 500, 800, and 1,200 ms) to trace the alerting network influence over the orienting network. The SOA manipulation showed that cuing effects peaked at 300 ms SOA irrespective of whether an alerting tone was present or not, and the alerting tone improved the cuing effect equally for 100–500 SOAs, but it did not at the longest 800–1,200 ms SOAs. These results suggest that alerting improves rather than accelerates orienting effects, a result that agrees with data from neuropsychological rehabilitation of parietal patients with spatial bias.
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Notes
We used boxes containing the rows to have a version of the ANT more appropriate to test patients with attention pathology. The boxes help the patients to localize the target display.
The comparison between the results of common conditions in Callejas et al. (2005, Experiment 2, the only experiment that manipulated SOA) and the present study (only 100 and 500 ms SOAs are considered) showed that the improvement of cuing effects by the alerting tone were 8 versus 27 ms, respectively.
As Callejas et al. (2005, Experiment 1) acknowledge, the alerting × congruency interaction was clearer when the statistical analysis was conducted only with no cue trials. In fact when all trials were included, the interaction was marginally significant.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (grant SEJ2005–01223/PSIC) and by the Fundación Séneca (grant 03066/PHCS/05).
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Fuentes, L.J., Campoy, G. The time course of alerting effect over orienting in the attention network test. Exp Brain Res 185, 667–672 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-007-1193-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-007-1193-8