Feature-Based Attention Within an Object Enhances the Binding Between
Features and Responses
Abstract
Although previous studies have indicated that the occurrence of
stimulus-response binding (and feature-response binding) is automatic,
the influence of attention on the strength of stimulus-response binding
remains unclear. This study investigated whether feature-based attention
affected feature-response binding within multi-feature objects. We
employed a modified partial repetition cost (PRC) paradigm. By
maintaining a constant level of attention to features during the
retrieval phase and manipulating the task relevance of features during
the binding phase, we were able to modulate attention to features during
the binding phase. Behavioral data and EEG signals were recorded,
incorporating temporal EEG signal decomposition and representational
similarity analysis (RSA) to comprehensively examine the influence of
attention on the strength of stimulus-response binding during both the
binding and retrieval phases. Our results indicated that features
attended to during the binding phase exhibited greater behavioral PRC
effects during the retrieval phase compared to unattended features.
Correspondingly, ERP P3 and decomposed C-cluster P3 components showed
larger amplitudes under partial repetition conditions, but this
modulation was only observed for task-relevant features during the
retrieval phase. Additionally, RSA results during the binding phase
demonstrated higher representational similarity scores for
feature-response binding when features were attended to. These findings
suggest that feature-based attention during the binding phase enhances
the strength of feature-response binding, aligning with the theory of
intentional weighting in cognitive control.