Do You See the Forest or the Tree? Neural Gain and Breadth Versus Focus in Perceptual Processing
研究提出神经增益调节知觉加工中广度与聚焦的权衡，高增益使知觉聚焦于最显著特征，低增益则允许更广泛的整合，并通过瞳孔直径实验和识别记忆实验验证。
When perceiving rich sensory information, some people may integrate its various aspects, whereas other people may selectively focus on its most salient aspects. We propose that neural gain modulates the trade-off between breadth and selectivity, such that high gain focuses perception on those aspects of the information that have the strongest, most immediate influence, whereas low gain allows broader integration of different aspects. We illustrate our hypothesis using a neural-network model of ambiguous-letter perception. We then report an experiment demonstrating that, as predicted by the model, pupil-diameter indices of higher gain are associated with letter perception that is more selectively focused on the letter's shape or, if primed, its semantic content. Finally, we report a recognition-memory experiment showing that the relationship between gain and selective processing also applies when the influence of different stimulus features is voluntarily modulated by task demands.