> Sent on behalf of Jelena Ristic
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> This is a quick reminder that Dr Nicolas Burra from the University of Geneva (https://www.unige.ch/fapse/cognition/burra.php) will be presenting his work on the neural correlates of perception of human gaze TODAY from 11.00am-12.30pm EDT (ZOOM).
>
> Talk Title: The role of top-down mechanisms in direct gaze perception.
>
> Abstract: Human beings, as a social species, have a heightened ability to detect and perceive visual features involved in social exchange, such as faces and eyes. In particular, eye gaze conveys information crucial for social interactions. Researchers have posited that in order to engage in dynamic face-to-face communication in real time, our brains need to process another person's gaze direction rapidly and automatically. Evidence indicates that direct gaze enhances face encoding and attentional capture and that direct gaze is perceived and processed more quickly than averted gaze. These findings are summarized as the "direct gaze effect". However, in the recent literature, evidence suggests that the mode of visual information processing modulates the effect of direct gaze. In project we are presenting, we claim that top-down processing, and specifically the task relevance of eye features, promotes early preferential processing of direct compared to indirect gaze. We propose that
low relevance of eye features in the task will prevent differences in processing eye direction between gaze direction because its encoding will be superficial. The differential treatment of direct and indirect gaze will only occur when the eyes are task-relevant. To assess the implication of task relevance on the temporality of cognitive processing, we will measure event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to facial stimuli. In this project, instead of the typical ERP markers such as the P1, N170, or P300, we will measure lateralized components such as the lateralized N170 and the N2pc, which are markers of early face encoding and attentional deployment respectively. We hypothesize that the task relevance of eye features is crucial in the direct gaze effect and propose to reexamine previous studies, which had cast doubt on the existence of the direct gaze effect. In this talk, we will present the planned experiments as well as some preliminary data. Overall, these studies
contribute to the gaze processing literature both at empirical and theoretical levels by assessing systematically the role of top-down processing in the early perception of direct gaze.
>
> ZOOM Link: https://mcgill.zoom.us/j/81914134311
>
> I hope many of you can join us for this event to round up the Spring semester!
>
> Please excuse multiple postings.
>
> Best,
>
> Jelena Ristic
>
> ------------------------------------------
> Jelena Ristic, PhD
> Professor & William Dawson Scholar
> Department of Psychology, McGill University
> 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1
> Phone: 514.398.2091
> Email: jelena.ristic(a)mcgill.ca
> Web: http://www.mcgill.ca/asc
Dear Colleagues,
Professor Nicolas Burra from the University of Geneva (https://www.unige.ch/fapse/cognition/burra.php) will be presenting his work on neural correlates of perception of human gaze on Thursday April 14, 2022, from 11.00am-12.30pm EDT (ZOOM).
Talk Title: The role of top-down mechanisms in direct gaze perception.
Abstract: Human beings, as a social species, have a heightened ability to detect and perceive visual features involved in social exchange, such as faces and eyes. In particular, eye gaze conveys information crucial for social interactions. Researchers have posited that in order to engage in dynamic face-to-face communication in real time, our brains need to process another person's gaze direction rapidly and automatically. Evidence indicates that direct gaze enhances face encoding and attentional capture and that direct gaze is perceived and processed more quickly than averted gaze. These findings are summarized as the “direct gaze effect”. However, in the recent literature, evidence suggests that the mode of visual information processing modulates the effect of direct gaze. In project we are presenting, we claim that top-down processing, and specifically the task relevance of eye features, promotes early preferential processing of direct compared to indirect gaze. We propose that low relevance of eye features in the task will prevent differences in processing eye direction between gaze direction because its encoding will be superficial. The differential treatment of direct and indirect gaze will only occur when the eyes are task-relevant. To assess the implication of task relevance on the temporality of cognitive processing, we will measure event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to facial stimuli. In this project, instead of the typical ERP markers such as the P1, N170, or P300, we will measure lateralized components such as the lateralized N170 and the N2pc, which are markers of early face encoding and attentional deployment respectively. We hypothesize that the task relevance of eye features is crucial in the direct gaze effect and propose to reexamine previous studies, which had cast doubt on the existence of the direct gaze effect. In this talk, we will present the planned experiments as well as some preliminary data. Overall, these studies contribute to the gaze processing literature both at empirical and theoretical levels by assessing systematically the role of top-down processing in the early perception of direct gaze.
ZOOM Link: https://mcgill.zoom.us/j/81914134311
I hope many of you can join us for this event to round up the Spring semester!
Best,
Jelena Ristic
------------------------------------------
Jelena Ristic, PhD
Professor & William Dawson Scholar
Department of Psychology, McGill University
1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1
Phone: 514.398.2091
Email: jelena.ristic(a)mcgill.ca<mailto:jelena.ristic@mcgill.ca>
Web: http://www.mcgill.ca/asc
Dear Colleagues,
Professor Reiko Graham from Texas State University (https://www.psych.txstate.edu/faculty/psydirectory/Reiko-Graham.html) will be presenting on her work TODAY, April 8, 2022, from 11.30am-12.30pm. Professor Graham is visiting McGill on her sabbatical.
Talk Title: Can I eat this? Event-related potentials are modulated by feedback regarding edibility
Abstract: Not all mistakes are created equal, and the consequences of errors vary widely. To examine the neural correlates of error magnitude, paradigms using extrinsic rewards and punishments (e.g. monetary gains and losses) are often used. We endeavored to create a task that tapped into intrinsic motivations by asking participants to make judgments about the edibility of ambiguous objects, which was then followed by feedback. We reasoned that edibility judgments would engage evaluative processes associated with potential oral incorporation, such that incorrectly stating that an inedible object was edible would be considered a more serious error (violating the body boundary) than the opposite. Twenty-five undergraduates (15 male, mean age = 21.5 years) viewed close-ups of food/drinks or nonfood/drinks, and indicated whether they could consume the objects. Feedback about stimulus type (unambiguous, zoomed-out images) was then provided. Analyses focused on ERPs to feedback trials; specifically, an earlier frontocentral negativity (feedback-related negativity or FRN) that is sensitive to reward and error magnitude and the centroparietally-distributed P300 that is sensitive to motivationally relevant stimuli. In line with our expectations, a stimulus type by outcome interaction was observed for the FRN, such that amplitude was largest when participants incorrectly identified nonfoods as foods, suggesting that this error was more significant than incorrectly identifying foods as nonfoods. The P300 was also sensitive to feedback, and amplitudes were highest when participants correctly identified foods. These results provide support for the hypothesis that the FRN is an index of error magnitude. Additionally, the enhanced P300 amplitudes to correct feedback regarding food items may index the salience and reinforcing properties of making correct judgments regarding edibility.
ZOOM Link: https://mcgill.zoom.us/j/84653117031
I hope many of you can join us for this event!
Best,
Jelena Ristic
------------------------------------------
Jelena Ristic, PhD
Professor & William Dawson Scholar
Department of Psychology, McGill University
1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1
Phone: 514.398.2091
Email: jelena.ristic(a)mcgill.ca<mailto:jelena.ristic@mcgill.ca>
Web: http://www.mcgill.ca/asc