Jain Anshul, Fuller Stuart, Backus Benjamin T
Graduate Center for Vision Research, State University of New York College of Optometry, New York, New York, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2014 May 7;9(5):e96383. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096383. eCollection 2014.
Cue-recruitment occurs when a previously ineffective signal comes to affect the perceptual appearance of a target object, in a manner similar to the trusted cues with which the signal was put into correlation during training. Jain, Fuller and Backus reported that extrinsic signals, those not carried by the target object itself, were not recruited even after extensive training. However, recent studies have shown that training using weakened trusted cues can facilitate recruitment of intrinsic signals. The current study was designed to examine whether extrinsic signals can be recruited by putting them in correlation with weakened trusted cues. Specifically, we tested whether an extrinsic visual signal, the rotary motion direction of an annulus of random dots, and an extrinsic auditory signal, direction of an auditory pitch glide, can be recruited as cues for the rotation direction of a Necker cube. We found learning, albeit weak, for visual but not for auditory signals. These results extend the generality of the cue-recruitment phenomenon to an extrinsic signal and provide further evidence that the visual system learns to use new signals most quickly when other, long-trusted cues are unavailable or unreliable.
当一个先前无效的信号开始以类似于训练期间与该信号建立关联的可靠线索的方式影响目标对象的感知外观时,就会发生线索招募。贾恩、富勒和巴克斯报告称,即使经过大量训练,外部信号(即不是由目标对象本身携带的信号)也不会被招募。然而,最近的研究表明,使用弱化的可靠线索进行训练可以促进内部信号的招募。本研究旨在检验外部信号与弱化的可靠线索建立关联后是否可以被招募。具体而言,我们测试了一个外部视觉信号(随机点环的旋转运动方向)和一个外部听觉信号(音高滑动的方向)是否可以被招募为内克尔立方体旋转方向的线索。我们发现视觉信号存在学习效应,尽管很弱,但听觉信号没有。这些结果将线索招募现象的普遍性扩展到了外部信号,并进一步证明,当其他长期可靠的线索不可用或不可靠时,视觉系统能最快学会使用新信号。