Behavioral evidence for brain-based ability factors in visuospatial information processing

Citation
J. Chen et al., Behavioral evidence for brain-based ability factors in visuospatial information processing, NEUROPSYCHO, 38(4), 2000, pp. 380-387
Citations number
31
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Psycology,"Neurosciences & Behavoir
Journal title
NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA
ISSN journal
0028-3932 → ACNP
Volume
38
Issue
4
Year of publication
2000
Pages
380 - 387
Database
ISI
SICI code
0028-3932(2000)38:4<380:BEFBAF>2.0.ZU;2-Q
Abstract
The present study examined possible parallels between the structure of huma n visuospatial abilities and the organization of the neural systems. Forty- eight participants were tested on seven speeded visuospatial tasks. Three o f these tasks were constructed so as to rely primarily on known ventral str eam functions and four were constructed so as to rely primarily on known do rsal stream functions. Both sets of tasks spanned approximately the same ra nge of difficulty as indexed by both the speed and accuracy of decision mak ing. Factor analysis of response times on the seven tasks revealed only two significant factors. The putative ventral stream tasks all loaded heavily on one factor (mean loading = 0.843) but only weakly on the other factor (m ean loading = 0.222); the putative dorsal stream tasks showed the opposite pattern in that they all loaded heavily on the second factor (mean loading = 0.828) but only weakly on the first factor (mean loading = 0.229). These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that human visuospatial abiliti es can be classified using categories based on the specializations of under lying neural structures and systems. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rig hts reserved.