Joaquim Carlos Rossini

Atenção visual: estudos comportamentais da seleção baseada no espaço e no objeto

Apesar de intensamente pesquisados nos ultimos trinta anos, os processos cognitivos relacionados a atencao visual humana ainda apresentam varias lacunas e instigam investigacoes sobre os mecanismos de selecao e integracao da informacao relevante contida no ambiente. Basicamente, os esforcos para a compreensao desta arquitetura cognitiva estao centrados em dois grandes modelos teoricos sobre a atencao visual: um baseado na localizacao espacial ocupada pelos objetos no campo visual e outro baseado nas caracteristicas do objeto a ser atendido. A revisao realizada neste artigo busca sistematizar algumas contribuicoes experimentais importantes a respeito desses modelos bem como evidenciar algumas particularidades da natureza dos processos envolvidos na mobilizacao da atencao visual humana.

Selecao e analise de estimulos na tarefa de busca visual

The capacity of processing several cognitive stages simultaneously still generates a considerable disagreement among models that try to understand the processing of visual information. Many experimental results suggest two main possibilities for the information flow between information processing stages: a discrete or a continuous flow. Two experiments have in the present study to investigate were designed attentional processing whether the information at first discarded in a pre-attentive state can influence the of selected information in a visual search task. The results show that the stimuli initially discarded in an automatic process of selection do not interfere in the attention all processing of stimuli in a visual search. The results support the models that predict an early selection of the relevant stimuli and a discrete transmission of the information between the cognitive processing stages.

Avaliação das funções atentivas e flexibilidade mental em dependentes químicos

The present study aimed to investigate possible changes in attentive focus and mental flexibility of drug-addicted subjects (G1, n = 20) compared to a control group that does not make use of psychoactive substances (G2, n = 20). Participants were assessed using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and a Continuous Performance Test (CPT). The results suggest that G1 individuals showed significantly lower performance on the WCST and in most CPT indexes. Altogether, the performances observed suggest a deficit in cognitive flexibility and a condition of inattention shown by G1 individuals in comparison to G2. The findings are discussed in terms of possible implications for the treatment of drug addicts.

Type 1 diabetes, cognition and the neurologist: Exploring Go/No-Go and Maze tasks in the search for a practical screening tool

The objectives were to use inexpensive and easy‐to‐apply tasks in order to investigate the differences between type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients and controls regarding attention and impulsivity, which are the basis for key‐executive function components that are traditionally assessed using subjective, long and difficult to reproduce questionnaires. Additionally, we sought to correlate these differences with clinical characteristics, and to explore correlations between the tasks.

Resolução de Labirintos e Tarefa Agir/Não Agir na Avaliação Atentiva

Attentive processes are critical to behavior control and action planning. The present study investigated a possible relationship in the performance of participants (n=20) without clinical complaints in solving mazes and in a computerized continuous performance test (Go/NoGo). The performance of participants was analyzed in terms of possible significant relationships between average time in the resolution of mazes and average time in implementing the Go/NoGo task, as well as a possible relationship between types of errors in both tasks. The results suggest a significant relationship between the runtime of both tasks and correlation between the frequency of touches at the limits of mazes and the amount of commission errors committed in Go/NoGo task. These results are discussed in terms of possible behavioral markers of impulsive actions.

Atenção seletiva e informação de alto nível: modelos de seleção da informação em cenas naturais

The researches about selective attention showed great emphasis on the study of low-level and mid-level processing of visual information, using relatively simple visual stimulus (letters, numbers and geometric shapes). However, there are an increasing number of studies about the influence of high-level information on the selection with complex scenes in natural contexts. The aim to present article is review the relevant studies about this area and highlight the differences between the discrete process model, which predicts that high-level information is processed in the late stages, and the early model that predicts an influence of high-level information on early visual selection.

Os Efeitos da Idade na Seleção de Carga Perceptual

Some studies suggest the existence of distinct maturation moments of the attentional system. This study investigated the selection patterns of visual information through a perceptual load task performed by three age groups: children, adults and elderly people. In general, the obtained results indicate a decrease of the efficiency in the process of information selection under low perceptual load in the group of elderly people, and a decrease of the selection efficiency under conditions of high and low perceptual load in the group composed by children. The results suggest the existence of specific patterns in the selection of visual information in relation to age and the perceptual load to be processed by the visual system.

Focalização da atenção visual

This study investigated the dynamic adjustment of the attention focusing in function of some physical characteristics of an exogenous visual cue. The first experiment investigated the effect of the area delimitated by a visual cue presented by different intervals between stimuli. The second experiment investigated the availability of attentional resources in the horizontal and vertical meridian of the visual field and the effect of flanking letters presented in and out of the attention focusing. The results of the first experiment suggest that the attention focusing may be kept stable for a period longer than 500 milliseconds and that the time through which the attention resources can remain stable is inversely proportional to their area. These results also corroborated an inverse relation between the size of the area to be fulfilled and the information processing efficiency. The results of the second experiment corroborated the effect caused by flanking letters observed by other authors (B. Ericksen & Ericksen, 1974; Miller, 1991) with an increase on the reaction time in the presence of the flanking letter incompatible with the target. Flanking letters have a significant smaller effect when presented out of the area delimitated by the visual cue. This result indicates an inhibitory attentional action out of the focusing area. Moreover, a possible asymmetry in the distribution of these inhibitory resources between the horizontal and vertical meridian of the visual field was also observed.

Falsas memórias e tempo de reação: estudo com o procedimento de palavras associadas

False Memories (FM) are based on memory errors and occur when people remember situations that never happened to them, events at which they were not present, or when remembrance from occurred facts are reminded differently from what really happened. This paper aims to present reaction time data about false memories with the adaptation of the DRM (Deese‑Roediger‑McDermott) paradigm into Brazilian Portuguese. The experiment was performed by 12 participants. Sets of memorized words (CPM) composed of 3, 5 or 7 items and the type of test (target, critical distractor and not related distractor) were manipulated within subjects. The results indicate a trend of increasing in reaction time according to the set of memorized words and confirm the importance of reaction time as a measure to study false memories in short‑term situations.

Atenção e comportamento inibitório em crianças de 6 a 8 anos

Considerable evidence suggests that attention and inhibitory behavior show differences along specific developmental stages. The present study aimed to evaluate the attention and inhibitory control of 130 children, aged six to eight years, in a go/no-go task adapted for this age group. The results suggest that 6-year-old children had significantly higher reaction times and made more errors when compared to 8-year-old children. These findings corroborate studies that indicate important differences in information processing in the age group studied, especially with regard to the attentional control capacity, related to inattentive behaviors when a goal is proposed, and the inhibitory control capacity, related to impulse response behaviors.