{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,13]],"date-time":"2026-03-13T07:49:28Z","timestamp":1773388168359,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MIT Press - Journals","issue":"2","content-domain":{"domain":["direct.mit.edu"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,2,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>Voluntary control over spatial attention has been likened to the operation of a zoom lens, such that processing quality declines as the size of the attended region increases, with a gradient of performance that peaks at the center of the selected area. Although concurrent changes in activity in visual regions suggest that zoom lens adjustments influence perceptual stages of processing, extant work has not distinguished between changes in the spatial selectivity of attention-driven neural activity and baseline shift of activity that can increase mean levels of activity without changes in selectivity. Here, we distinguished between these alternatives by measuring EEG activity in humans to track preparatory changes in alpha activity that indexed the precise topography of attention across the possible target positions. We observed increased spatial selectivity in alpha activity when observers voluntarily directed attention toward a narrower region of space, a pattern that was mirrored in target discrimination accuracy. Thus, alpha activity tracks both the centroid and spatial extent of covert spatial attention before the onset of the target display, lending support to the hypothesis that narrowing the zoom lens of attention shapes the initial encoding of sensory information.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1162\/jocn_a_01484","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,10,21]],"date-time":"2019-10-21T15:59:46Z","timestamp":1571673586000},"page":"272-282","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1162\/mitpressjournals.corrections.policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":28,"title":["Alpha-band Activity Tracks the Zoom Lens of Attention"],"prefix":"10.1162","volume":"32","author":[{"given":"Tobias","family":"Feldmann-W\u00fcstefeld","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Southampton"}]},{"given":"Edward","family":"Awh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Chicago"}]}],"member":"281","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,2,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Beck,  J., & Ambler,  B. (1973). The effects of concentrated and distributed attention on peripheral acuity. Perception & Psychophysics, 14, 225\u2013230.","DOI":"10.3758\/BF03212381"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Carrasco,  M.\n           (2011). Visual attention: The past 25 years. Vision Research, 51, 1484\u20131525.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.visres.2011.04.012"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Castiello,  U., & Umilt\u00e1,  C. (1990). Size of the attentional focus and efficiency of processing. Acta Psychologica, 73, 195\u2013209.","DOI":"10.1016\/0001-6918(90)90022-8"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cave,  K. R., & Bichot,  N. P. (1999). Visuospatial attention: Beyond a spotlight model. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 6, 204\u2013223.","DOI":"10.3758\/BF03212327"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cousineau,  D.\n           (2005). Confidence intervals in within-subject designs: A simpler solution to Loftus and Masson's method. Tutorials in Quantitative Methods for Psychology, 1, 42\u201345.","DOI":"10.20982\/tqmp.01.1.p042"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Downing,  C. J.\n           (1988). Expectancy and visual-spatial attention: Effects on perceptual quality. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 14, 188\u2013202.","DOI":"10.1037\/0096-1523.14.2.188"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Eckstein,  M. P., Shimozaki,  S. S., & Abbey,  C. K. (2002). The footprints of visual attention in the Posner cueing paradigm revealed by classification images. Journal of Vision, 2, 25\u201345.","DOI":"10.1167\/2.1.3"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Eriksen,  C. W., & James,  J. (1986). Visual attention within and around the field of focal attention: A zoom lens model. Perception & Psychophysics, 40, 225\u2013240.","DOI":"10.3758\/BF03211502"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Feldmann-W\u00fcstefeld,  T., & Schub\u00f6,  A. (2013). Textures shape the attentional focus: Evidence from exogenous and endogenous cueing. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 75, 1644\u20131666.","DOI":"10.3758\/s13414-013-0508-z"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Foster,  J. J., & Awh,  E. (2019). The role of alpha oscillations in spatial attention: Limited evidence for a suppression account. Current Opinion in Psychology, 29, 34\u201340.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.copsyc.2018.11.001"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Foster,  J. J., Bsales,  E. M., Jaffe,  R. J., & Awh,  E. (2017). Alpha-band activity reveals spontaneous representations of spatial position in visual working memory. Current Biology, 27, 3216\u20133223.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2017.09.031"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Foster,  J. J., Sutterer,  D. W., Serences,  J. T., Vogel,  E. K., & Awh,  E. (2017). Alpha-band oscillations enable spatially and temporally resolved tracking of covert spatial attention. Psychological Science, 28, 929\u2013941.","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797617699167"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Foxe,  J. J., & Snyder,  A. C. (2011). The role of alpha-band brain oscillations as a sensory suppression mechanism during selective attention. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 154.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2011.00154"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gould,  I. C., Rushworth,  M. F., & Nobre,  A. C. (2011). Indexing the graded allocation of visuospatial attention using anticipatory alpha oscillations. Journal of Neurophysiology, 105, 1318\u20131326.","DOI":"10.1152\/jn.00653.2010"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Itthipuripat,  S., Garcia,  J. O., Rungratsameetaweemana,  N., Sprague,  T. C., & Serences,  J. T. (2014). Changing the spatial scope of attention alters patterns of neural gain in human cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 34, 112\u2013123.","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.3943-13.2014"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jensen,  O., & Mazaheri,  A. (2010). Shaping functional architecture by oscillatory alpha activity: Gating by inhibition. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 4, 186.","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2010.00186"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"LaBerge,  D.\n           (1983). Spatial extent of attention to letters and words. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 9, 371\u2013379.","DOI":"10.1037\/0096-1523.9.3.371"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Luck,  S. J., Heinze,  H. J., Mangun,  G. R., & Hillyard,  S. A. (1990). Visual event-related potentials index focused attention within bilateral stimulus arrays. I. Evidence for early selection. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophsiology, 75, 511\u2013527.","DOI":"10.1016\/0013-4694(90)90138-A"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mangun,  G. R., & Hillyard,  S. A. (1987). The spatial allocation of visual attention as indexed by event-related brain potentials. Human Factors, 29, 195\u2013211.","DOI":"10.1177\/001872088702900207"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Marshall,  T. R., O'Shea,  J., Jensen,  O., & Bergmann,  T. O. (2015). Frontal eye fields control attentional modulation of alpha and gamma oscillations in contralateral occipitoparietal cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 35, 1638\u20131647.","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.3116-14.2015"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"M\u00fcller,  N., Bartelt,  O. A., Donner,  T. H., Villringer,  A., & Brandt,  S. A. (2003). A physiological correlate of the \u201czoom lens\u201d of visual attention. Journal of Neuroscience, 23, 3561\u20133565.","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.23-09-03561.2003"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"M\u00fcller,  H. J., & Rabbitt,  P. M. (1989). Spatial cueing and the relation between the accuracy of \u201cwhere\u201d and \u201cwhat\u201d decisions in visual search. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Section A: Human Experimental Psychology, 41, 747\u2013773.","DOI":"10.1080\/14640748908402392"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Palmer,  J.\n           (1995). Attention in visual search: Distinguishing four causes of a set-size effect. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 4, 118\u2013123.","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-8721.ep10772534"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Palmer,  J., Ames,  C. T., & Lindsey,  D. T. (1993). Measuring the effect of attention on simple visual search. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 19, 108\u2013130.","DOI":"10.1037\/0096-1523.19.1.108"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Posner,  M. I., Snyder,  C. R., & Davidson,  B. J. (1980). Attention and the detection of signals. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 109, 160\u2013174.","DOI":"10.1037\/0096-3445.109.2.160"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rihs,  T. A., Michel,  C. M., & Thut,  G. (2007). Mechanisms of selective inhibition in visual spatial attention are indexed by \u03b1-band EEG synchronization. European Journal of Neuroscience, 25, 603\u2013610.","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1460-9568.2007.05278.x"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Samaha,  J., Sprague,  T. C., & Postle,  B. R. (2016). Decoding and reconstructing the focus of spatial attention from the topography of alpha-band oscillations. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 28, 1090\u20131097.","DOI":"10.1162\/jocn_a_00955"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shaw,  M. L., & Shaw,  P. (1977). Optimal allocation of cognitive resources to spatial locations. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance, 3, 201\u2013211.","DOI":"10.1037\/0096-1523.3.2.201"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sutterer,  D. W., Foster,  J. J., Adam,  K. C. S., Vogel,  E. K., & Awh,  E. (2019). Item-specific delay activity demonstrates concurrent storage of multiple active neural representations in working memory. PLoS Biology, 17, e3000239.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pbio.3000239"},{"key":"2021072109051248600_bib30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Worden,  M. S., Foxe,  J. J., Wang,  N., & Simpson,  G. V. (2000). Anticipatory biasing of visuospatial attention indexed by retinotopically specific alpha-band electroencephalography increases over occipital cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 20, RC63.","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.20-06-j0002.2000"}],"container-title":["Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/direct.mit.edu\/jocn\/article-pdf\/32\/2\/272\/1861184\/jocn_a_01484.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"http:\/\/direct.mit.edu\/jocn\/article-pdf\/32\/2\/272\/1861184\/jocn_a_01484.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,21]],"date-time":"2021-07-21T09:07:37Z","timestamp":1626858457000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/direct.mit.edu\/jocn\/article\/32\/2\/272\/95380\/Alpha-band-Activity-Tracks-the-Zoom-Lens-of"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2020,2,1]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,2,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,2,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1162\/jocn_a_01484","relation":{},"ISSN":["0898-929X","1530-8898"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0898-929X","type":"print"},{"value":"1530-8898","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2020,2]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2020,2,1]]}}}