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VAGAL INFLUENCE ON SELECTIVE ATTENTION UNDER HIGH AND LOW PERCEPTUAL LOAD

Park, Gewn hi
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245438999

Abstract Details

2009, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Psychology.
I examined the effect of high and low levels of vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV) on a computer-based selective attentional task under high and low perceptual load. In the task, letter strings were superimposed on either fearful or neutral facial distractors and participants were asked to identify target letters. Under high load, letter strings consisted of one target letter and five nontarget letters arranged in random order. Under low load, letter strings consisted of 6 target letters. Under both high- and low-load, the low HRV group did not show differences in RTs between neutral and fearful distractors. For the high HRV group, the valence of distractors played different roles in detecting targets under different perceptual loads. Under low perceptual load, the high HRV group was significantly faster to detect targets with fearful distractors compared to those with neutral distractors. Under high perceptual load, the opposite pattern was observed. The high HRV group was faster to detect targets with neutral distractors under high load. The results were explained in the context of the Neurovisceral model proposed by Thayer and Lane (2000, 2002). According to the model, HRV can index the top down modulation of the prefrontal cortex on sympathoexcitatory subcortical structures. High HRV represents the highly integrated cortical-subcortical circuits in the organism and is expected to be associated with good attentional and emotional regulation whereas low HRV indicates poor self-regulation as a result of rigid neuroviseral integration. As the model predicted, the low HRV group failed to detect safety signals and made undifferentiated responses to neutral and fearful distractors. However, the high HRV group made responses that were appropriate for emotional contexts such that under low load, they quickly disengaged their attention away from fearful distractors and under the high load condition with neutral distractors, they recognized safety signals and made faster responses than with fearful distractors. Under the low load condition, the high HRV group exerted greater attentional control to quickly disengage their attention away from fearful stimuli and to process task-relevant stimuli. Under the high load condition with fearful distractors, the prefrontal cortex disinhibited its inhibitory control over sympathoexcitatory subcortical circuits, which allowed the processing of fearful distractors further. As a result, the processing of task-relevant stimuli might be delayed. However, with neutral distractor, the prefrontal cortex recognized the safety signal, the neutral facial expression, and focused on the processing of task-relevant stimuli while inhibiting the activity of symapthoexcitatory subcortical circuits. As a result, the high HRV group could identify targets significantly faster with neutral distractors than with fearful distractors.
Julian Thayer, PhD (Committee Chair)
Richard Jagacinski, PhD (Committee Member)
Michael Vasey, PhD (Committee Member)
66 p.
Psychology
HRV; selective attention

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Park, G. H. (2009). VAGAL INFLUENCE ON SELECTIVE ATTENTION UNDER HIGH AND LOW PERCEPTUAL LOAD [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245438999

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Park, Gewn hi. VAGAL INFLUENCE ON SELECTIVE ATTENTION UNDER HIGH AND LOW PERCEPTUAL LOAD. 2009. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245438999.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Park, Gewn hi. "VAGAL INFLUENCE ON SELECTIVE ATTENTION UNDER HIGH AND LOW PERCEPTUAL LOAD." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245438999

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.