Orienting is the gateway to attention, the first step in processing stimulus
information. This volume examines these initial stages of information intake,
focusing on the sensory and motivational mechanisms that determine such
phenomena as stimulus selection and inhibition, habituation, pre-attentive
processing, and expectancy. Psychophysiological methods are emphasized
throughout. The contributors consider analyses based on cardiovascular and
electrodermal changes, reflex reactions, and neural events in the cortex and
subcortex.
Stimulated by a conference lauding Frances Graham -- held before and during a
recent meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, the book
presents current theory and research by an international cadre of outstanding
investigators. A major researcher and theorist in