Visual Masking: Studying Perception, Attention, and Consciousness

Visual masking is a technique used in cognitive research to understand pre-conscious processes (priming, for example), consciousness, visual limits, and perception issues associated with psychopathology. This book is a short format review of research using visual masking: how it has been used, and what these experiments have discovered.Topics covered include concepts, varieties, and theories of masking; masking and microgenetic mechanisms and stagesof visual processing; psychopharmacological and genetic factors in masking, and more.

Provides succinct information about the widely dispersed masking studies and points out some new trends in masking research Reviews transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as an alternative to the traditional psychophysical masking methodsComments on the methodological pitfalls hidden in the practice of masking, helping to improve the quality of future research where masking is used as a tool Informs readers about recent developments in theoretical attempts to understand masking

Preface Introduction The Concept of Masking, Varieties of Masking, and Main Theories of Masking Learning and individual Differences in Masking Criterion Contents and Subjective Contents in Masking Masking and Attention: Pre- and Posttarget Effects Masking and Attention: OSM Masking and NCC Masked Priming and Unconscious Processing How Masking Depends on the Visual characteristics of the Target and Mask Stimuli Uncovering the Microgenetic Mechanisms and Stages of Visual Processing by Masking Novel Approaches in Masking Research Masking by TMS Modeling and Theoretical Accounts of Masking Psychopharmacological and Genetic Factors in Masking Applied Aspects of Masking Research: Medicine and Technology Generalizations and Conclusions Acknowledgements References