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Behavioral and electrographical features of recognition of forward-masked complex images: The effect of categorical similarity of the target and masking stimuli

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Abstract

In psychophysical and neurophysiological experiments, the subjects recognized images of two categories, “animals” and “objects.” The images of the same categories differing from the target stimuli were used as the masking stimuli. We found that the efficacy of forward-masking depended on categorical similarity of the masking and target stimuli. The probability of a correct response was lower and the reaction time and its variance were higher when we used stimuli of the same category compared with presentation of stimuli of different categories. Categorical similarity of masking and target stimuli induced difficulties with response, which were accompanied by decreases in the amplitudes of the N2 and P3 components of the evoked potentials. These effects were more pronounced during recognition of animals compared to objects. The results are discussed from the point of view of negative priming and the distractor effect.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117485, Russia

    S. A. Kalinin, N. Yu. Gerasimenko, A. V. Slavutskaya & E. S. Mikhailova

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  1. S. A. Kalinin
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  2. N. Yu. Gerasimenko
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  3. A. V. Slavutskaya
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  4. E. S. Mikhailova
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Correspondence to E. S. Mikhailova.

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Original Russian Text © S.A. Kalinin, N.Yu. Gerasimenko, A.V. Slavutskaya, E.S. Mikhailova, 2014, published in Fiziologiya Cheloveka, 2014, Vol. 40, No. 4, pp. 5–17.

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Kalinin, S.A., Gerasimenko, N.Y., Slavutskaya, A.V. et al. Behavioral and electrographical features of recognition of forward-masked complex images: The effect of categorical similarity of the target and masking stimuli. Hum Physiol 40, 355–366 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119714030086

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119714030086

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