Tony Lambert

Phone: +64 9 373 7599 ext 88520
Email: t.lambert@auckland.ac.nz
Room: HSB 650

Co-Director of Research Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience

Non-conscious effects of peripheral information on visual orienting

I have been interested for some time in the way in which peripheral information influences movements of attention. Previous research has suggested that visual orienting can occur in two ways: either under voluntary control, or reflexively in response to salient visual changes in the periphery. Work from my laboratory suggests that this simple dichotomy between reflexive and voluntary orienting does not do justice to the exquisite design of the human perceptual system. Several conclusions can be drawn from our recent research:

• visual orienting can be influenced not only by the gross visual changes that elicit reflexive orienting, but also by the nature of information appearing in the periphery
• individuals can orient appropriately in response to peripheral information while remaining unaware of the utility of that information in guiding the attention shift
• individuals can orient appropriately in response to peripheral stimuli, while remaining unaware that any stimulus at all has been presented
• visual orienting can be influenced not only by the visual form of briefly presented peripheral objects, but also by semantic characteristics of the object

My current research in this area is using EEG, fMRI and behavioural methods to explore the contributions of the dorsal and ventral visual streams to visual orienting and conscious perception.

Emotion and cognition

I am currently undertaking two projects in this area. The first project is studying patterns of eye movements as participants scan scenes which vary in emotionality. The second project, being carried out in collaboration with Dr. Ian Kirk, is examining the neural correlates of memory suppression of emotional material, using advanced functional magnetic resonance imaging. Findings from both projects will provide valuable information concerning the impact of emotional factors on the cognitive processes of attention and memory.

Reaction time methods, EEG methods, monitoring of eye movements

Research projects

1. Effects of peripheral information on movements of attention
2. Effects of emotional information on eye movements and attention
3. Memory suppression of emotional material

• Lambert, A. & Shin, M-J. The Hare and the Snail: Dissociating visual orienting from conscious perception. Visual Cognition, 18, 829-838. DOI: 10.1080/13506281003693569
• Lambert, A., Good,K. & Kirk,I. (2010). Testing the repression hypothesis: Effects of emotional valence on memory suppression in the think – no think task. Consciousness and Cognition, 19, 281-293.DOI:10.1016/j.concog.2009.09.004
• Lambert, A.. & Hallett,C. (2009). Hand preference for sending cell-phone text messages: Associations with sex, writing hand and throwing hand. Laterality, 14, 329-344. DOI: 10.1080/13576500802396545
• Lambert,A. & Holmes,J. (2004). Aging and visual orienting in response to complex spatial cues. Brain Impairment, 5, 117-125.
• Kean, M.S., & Lambert,A. (2003). The influence of a salience distinction between bilateral cues on the latency of target-detection saccades. British Journal of Psychology, 94, 373–388.