Attentional switch to memory: An early and late stage of cognitive
processing allowing efficient visual search
Abstract
Individuals are apt to link various characteristics of an object or
event through different sensory experiences. We conducted an
electrophysiological study to examine the in-depth cognitive processing
mechanisms underlying the visual search process in multisensory
attention. A pilot study with two questionnaires was conducted to screen
experimental materials and establish the color-flavor combinations. In
the experimental study, the participants were prompted with a flavor
label and asked to choose the one with it from the following four
beverage bottle images. The behavioral results showed that searching for
a color-flavor weak association target was slower than for a strong
association one in the color-flavor congruent condition, opposite to the
incongruent condition. The ERP component analysis detected smaller N2
and larger P3 and LPC amplitudes for the color-flavor incongruent
targets than for the congruent targets. A further time-frequency
analysis elicited that the color-flavor congruent and strong association
targets evoked lower parietal theta power (range: 200–800 ms, 4–8 Hz)
than the incongruent and weak association targets, respectively.
Overall, our research indicated that (1) the color-flavor congruency and
association strength interactively impacted the visual search
efficiency, (2) the attentional switch from external stimuli to internal
memory is necessary for efficient visual search, and (3) the parietal
region plays a critical role in attentional processing and memory
retrieval. These findings shed light on the intricate cognitive
processes involved in visual search and the underlying neurocognitive
dynamics.