Abstract
Previous expertise training with birds (Scott et al., 2006) and cars (Scott et al., 2008) suggests that subordinate-level training improves perceptual discrimination and increases occipital-temporal event-related potentials (ERPs). Here, we examined whether manipulating color or spatial frequency information influenced discrimination or ERP components after training. Adults completed 6-10 hours of training with full color images of two sets of objects trained at either the basic or subordinate level. Before and after training, participants completed a subordinate-level sequential matching task while behavioral and ERP responses were recorded. Images were either full color, grayscale, high spatial frequency (HSF: >8 cpd), or low spatial frequency (LSF: >8 cpd) filtered. Analyses of d' suggest that training increases accuracy following subordinate- but not basic-level training for all image manipulations. Additionally, d' varied across manipulations, where discrimination of color was superior to grayscale and HSF-filtered images, which was superior to discrimination of LSF-filtered images. Although no training-specific ERP results were found, the P1 differed across hemispheres such that it was smaller for HSF-filtered images over the LH and for both HSF- and LSF-filtered images over the RH relative to color and grayscale images. There were also greater N170 amplitudes to LSF-filtered images relative to color, grayscale, and HSF-filtered images, and to HSF-filtered images relatives to color and grayscale images. Similarly, participants exhibited larger N250 amplitudes to LSF-filtered images relative to color, grayscale, and HSF-filtered images. The current findings are consistent with previous training results (Scott et al., 2006; 2008) and suggest that subordinate-level training increased accuracy in all conditions, despite the loss of color or spatial frequency information. Although not related to training, spatial frequency filtering selectively decreased the P1 amplitude and increased the N170 and N250 amplitudes to degraded images, which may reflect disruption of early object processing.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2016