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Perceptual learning without perception

Author

Listed:
  • Takeo Watanabe

    (Boston University)

  • José E. Náñez

    (Arizona State University West)

  • Yuka Sasaki

    (NMR Center, Massachusetts General Hospital)

Abstract

The brain is able to adapt rapidly and continually to the surrounding environment, becoming increasingly sensitive to important and frequently encountered stimuli1,2,3,4. It is often claimed that this adaptive learning is highly task-specific, that is, we become more sensitive to the critical signals in the tasks we attend to5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15. Here, we show a new type of perceptual learning, which occurs without attention, without awareness and without any task relevance. Subjects were repeatedly presented with a background motion signal so weak that its direction was not visible; the invisible motion was an irrelevant background to the central task that engaged the subject's attention. Despite being below the threshold of visibility and being irrelevant to the central task, the repetitive exposure improved performance specifically for the direction of the exposed motion when tested in a subsequent suprathreshold test. These results suggest that a frequently presented feature sensitizes the visual system merely owing to its frequency, not its relevance or salience.

Suggested Citation

  • Takeo Watanabe & José E. Náñez & Yuka Sasaki, 2001. "Perceptual learning without perception," Nature, Nature, vol. 413(6858), pages 844-848, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:413:y:2001:i:6858:d:10.1038_35101601
    DOI: 10.1038/35101601
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    Cited by:

    1. Tarryn Balsdon & M. Andrea Pisauro & Marios G. Philiastides, 2024. "Distinct basal ganglia contributions to learning from implicit and explicit value signals in perceptual decision-making," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.

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