Journal article
Investigating the modality specificity of response selection using a temporal flanker task
Psychological research, Vol.75(6), pp.499-512
11/2011
DOI: 10.1007/s00426-011-0369-9
PMID: 21874548
Abstract
The neurocognitive architecture for response selection is uncertain. Some theorists suggest that it is mediated by an amodal central mechanism, whereas others propose a set of independent control mechanisms. In a functional neuroimaging experiment, we investigated the nature of response selection by examining how its underlying brain mechanisms are affected by stimulus modality. To do this, we used a modified flanker task, in which the target and flanker (distractor) stimuli differed in time rather than space, making it accessible for both visual and auditory stimuli. As in the traditional flanker task, larger reaction times were observed for incongruent than congruent trials (i.e., a congruency effect) for both modalities. Congruency affected brain activation for both modalities in prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, and the putamen. Modality-dependent activation was found in additional prefrontal and parietal regions for the visual modality and in left inferior prefrontal cortex for the auditory modality. Modality-dependent activity specifically related to response congruency was also found in sensory cortical regions. These data suggest that modality affects the brain regions throughout the cortex mediating response selection even for conceptually identical stimuli and tasks. They are consistent with the hypothesis that (at least partially) independent brain networks mediate response selection and that input modality may be a powerful factor for organizing neural activity to support task performance.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Investigating the modality specificity of response selection using a temporal flanker task
- Creators
- Eric Schumacher - School of Psychology Georgia Institute of Technology 654 Cherry Street Atlanta GA 30332 USAHillary Schwarb - School of Psychology Georgia Institute of Technology 654 Cherry Street Atlanta GA 30332 USAErin Lightman - School of Psychology Georgia Institute of Technology 654 Cherry Street Atlanta GA 30332 USAEliot Hazeltine - Department of Psychology University of Iowa E111 Seashore Hall Iowa City IA 52242 USA
- Contributors
- Lynn Huestegge (Editor)Eliot Hazeltine (Editor)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Psychological research, Vol.75(6), pp.499-512
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag; Berlin/Heidelberg
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00426-011-0369-9
- PMID
- 21874548
- ISSN
- 0340-0727
- eISSN
- 1430-2772
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 11/2011
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984070604602771
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