The dichotomy of speed- and accuracy-related abilities in face and object cognition and their neurocognitive mechanisms

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Andrea Hildebrandt; Professor Dr. Werner Sommer
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: from 2014 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 262682605

Research on individual differences in face and object processing has shown that difficult tasks used to measure performance accuracy capture a differentiated ability structure with separable factors within and across stimulus domains. In contrast, when easy tasks, designed to capture performance speed, are used, there is solely a unitary, domain-general ability factor, given that the methods of measurement (task paradigms) are equivalent across content domains. The proposed project aims to reconfirm the dichotomy of accuracy and speed related abilities with a direct test (Objective 1 and 2). More importantly, the project intends to elucidate neurocognitive mechanisms underlying these abilities by applying sophisticated state of the art tools of analysis to event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Objective 3 will consider mean performance and average ERP parameters of each participant. An additional Objective 4 will examine the variability of performance and ERP measures within participants and the relations of the prestimulus brain state to both average ERP and trial-to-trial ERP variability.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: China
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Chung-Fu Zhou