Sudden events change old visual objects into new ones: A possible role for phasic activation of Locus Coeruleus

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Author(s)
Jefferies, LN
Di Lollo, V
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2019
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We report a novel visual phenomenon called the rejuvenation effect. It causes an “old” object that has been on view for some time to acquire the properties of a suddenly appearing new object. In each experiment, a square outline was displayed continuously on one side of fixation. The target (an asterisk) was presented either inside the square or on the opposite side of fixation. On half of the trials, a transient visual or auditory event preceded the target. In Experiment 1a (N = 139), response times were faster when the target appeared inside the square, but only when it was preceded by a transient event, consistent with ...
View more >We report a novel visual phenomenon called the rejuvenation effect. It causes an “old” object that has been on view for some time to acquire the properties of a suddenly appearing new object. In each experiment, a square outline was displayed continuously on one side of fixation. The target (an asterisk) was presented either inside the square or on the opposite side of fixation. On half of the trials, a transient visual or auditory event preceded the target. In Experiment 1a (N = 139), response times were faster when the target appeared inside the square, but only when it was preceded by a transient event, consistent with the network-reset theory of locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) phasic activation. Three further experiments confirmed the predictions of network-reset theory, including the absence of rejuvenation in participants with atypical LC-NE functioning (individuals with symptoms of autism spectrum disorder). These findings provide new perspectives on what causes a visual object to be perceived as new.
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View more >We report a novel visual phenomenon called the rejuvenation effect. It causes an “old” object that has been on view for some time to acquire the properties of a suddenly appearing new object. In each experiment, a square outline was displayed continuously on one side of fixation. The target (an asterisk) was presented either inside the square or on the opposite side of fixation. On half of the trials, a transient visual or auditory event preceded the target. In Experiment 1a (N = 139), response times were faster when the target appeared inside the square, but only when it was preceded by a transient event, consistent with the network-reset theory of locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) phasic activation. Three further experiments confirmed the predictions of network-reset theory, including the absence of rejuvenation in participants with atypical LC-NE functioning (individuals with symptoms of autism spectrum disorder). These findings provide new perspectives on what causes a visual object to be perceived as new.
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Journal Title
Psychological Science
Copyright Statement
Jefferies, L. N., & Di Lollo, V. (2018). Sudden Events Change Old Visual Objects Into New Ones: A Possible Role for Phasic Activation of Locus Coeruleus. Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797618807190 Copyright 2018 The Authors. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.
Subject
Psychology
Other psychology not elsewhere classified
Cognitive and computational psychology