Bridging the gap between physiology and behavior: evidence from the sSoTS model of human visual attention

We present the case for a role of biologically plausible neural network modelling in bridging the gap between physiology and behavior. We argue that spiking level networks can allow ‘vertical’ translation between physiological properties of neural systems and emergent ‘whole system’ performance – en...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mavritsaki, Eirini, Heinke, Dietmar, Allen, Harriet A., Deco, Gustavo, Humphreys, Glyn W.
Format: Article
Published: American Psychological Association 2011
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32325/
_version_ 1848794384855728128
author Mavritsaki, Eirini
Heinke, Dietmar
Allen, Harriet A.
Deco, Gustavo
Humphreys, Glyn W.
author_facet Mavritsaki, Eirini
Heinke, Dietmar
Allen, Harriet A.
Deco, Gustavo
Humphreys, Glyn W.
author_sort Mavritsaki, Eirini
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description We present the case for a role of biologically plausible neural network modelling in bridging the gap between physiology and behavior. We argue that spiking level networks can allow ‘vertical’ translation between physiological properties of neural systems and emergent ‘whole system’ performance – enabling psychological results to be simulated from implemented networks, and also inferences to be made from simulations concerning processing at a neural level. These models also emphasise particular factors (e.g., the dynamics of performance in relation to real-time neuronal processing) that are not highlighted in other approaches and which can be tested empirically. We illustrate our argument from neural-level models that select stimuli by biased competition. We show that a model with biased competition dynamics can simulate data ranging from physiological studies of single cell activity (Study 1) to ‘whole system’ behavior in human visual search (Study 2), while also capturing effects at ‘intermediate level’, including performance break down after neural lesion (Study 3) and data from brain imaging (Study 4). We also show that, at each level of analysis novel predictions can be derived from the biologically plausible parameters adopted, which we proceed to test (Study 5). We argue that, at least for studying the dynamics of visual attention, the approach productively links single cell to psychological data.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T19:15:21Z
format Article
id nottingham-32325
institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T19:15:21Z
publishDate 2011
publisher American Psychological Association
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling nottingham-323252020-05-04T20:23:38Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32325/ Bridging the gap between physiology and behavior: evidence from the sSoTS model of human visual attention Mavritsaki, Eirini Heinke, Dietmar Allen, Harriet A. Deco, Gustavo Humphreys, Glyn W. We present the case for a role of biologically plausible neural network modelling in bridging the gap between physiology and behavior. We argue that spiking level networks can allow ‘vertical’ translation between physiological properties of neural systems and emergent ‘whole system’ performance – enabling psychological results to be simulated from implemented networks, and also inferences to be made from simulations concerning processing at a neural level. These models also emphasise particular factors (e.g., the dynamics of performance in relation to real-time neuronal processing) that are not highlighted in other approaches and which can be tested empirically. We illustrate our argument from neural-level models that select stimuli by biased competition. We show that a model with biased competition dynamics can simulate data ranging from physiological studies of single cell activity (Study 1) to ‘whole system’ behavior in human visual search (Study 2), while also capturing effects at ‘intermediate level’, including performance break down after neural lesion (Study 3) and data from brain imaging (Study 4). We also show that, at each level of analysis novel predictions can be derived from the biologically plausible parameters adopted, which we proceed to test (Study 5). We argue that, at least for studying the dynamics of visual attention, the approach productively links single cell to psychological data. American Psychological Association 2011-01 Article PeerReviewed Mavritsaki, Eirini, Heinke, Dietmar, Allen, Harriet A., Deco, Gustavo and Humphreys, Glyn W. (2011) Bridging the gap between physiology and behavior: evidence from the sSoTS model of human visual attention. Psychological Review, 118 (1). pp. 3-41. ISSN 1939-1471 http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=search.displayrecord&uid=2011-00732-002 doi:10.1037/a0021868 doi:10.1037/a0021868
spellingShingle Mavritsaki, Eirini
Heinke, Dietmar
Allen, Harriet A.
Deco, Gustavo
Humphreys, Glyn W.
Bridging the gap between physiology and behavior: evidence from the sSoTS model of human visual attention
title Bridging the gap between physiology and behavior: evidence from the sSoTS model of human visual attention
title_full Bridging the gap between physiology and behavior: evidence from the sSoTS model of human visual attention
title_fullStr Bridging the gap between physiology and behavior: evidence from the sSoTS model of human visual attention
title_full_unstemmed Bridging the gap between physiology and behavior: evidence from the sSoTS model of human visual attention
title_short Bridging the gap between physiology and behavior: evidence from the sSoTS model of human visual attention
title_sort bridging the gap between physiology and behavior: evidence from the ssots model of human visual attention
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32325/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32325/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32325/