Examining the effects of trial order and conditioning on the covert orienting of visual attention task (COVAT)

Abstract

It has recently been reported by Deller (2006) that the mechanisms of early facilitation followed by late inhibition of return (IOR) attenuated upon ANS activation, manipulated through head-down neck flexion (HDNF). The responses to peripheral targets were measured in a series of trial conditions (i.e. seated, prone, HDNF, prone) all performed in the same trial order. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether the trial order utilized by Deller (2006) led to the attenuated faciliatory and inhibitory mechanisms of attention during ANS activation.