Imagined event files: An interplay between imagined and perceived objects

Abstract

An important function of attention is to integrate features processed in distinct brain areas into a single coherent object representation. The immediate outcome of this binding process has been termed an event file, a transient memory structure that links features, context, and associated actions. A key result that supports the existence of event files is the partial repetition cost – slowed responses to a current event thought to reflect the updating of event file bindings in simple trial-to-trial repetition methods. In four experiments, using a procedure similar to Hommel (Visual Cognition, 5 (1/2), 183-216, 1998), we explored whether similar event file binding effects occurred when participants imagine rather than perceive a first event prior to responding to a following visual event. The results indicate that this effect does occur, implying that feature binding in imagery and perception may follow similar principles.