Altering the primacy bias – How does a prior task affect mismatch negativity (MMN)?

Mullens, Daniel and Woodley, Jessica and Whitson, Lisa R. and Provost, Alexander and Heathcote, Andrew and Winkler, István and Todd, Juanita (2014) Altering the primacy bias – How does a prior task affect mismatch negativity (MMN)? Psychophysiology, 51 (5). pp. 437-445. ISSN 00485772

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Abstract

The role in which two tones are first encountered in an unattended oddball sequence affects how deviance detection, reflected by mismatch negativity (MMN), treats them later when the roles reverse: a “primacy bias”. We tested whether this effect is modulated by previous behavioural relevance assigned to the two tones. To this end, sequences in which the roles of the two tones alternated were preceded by a go-nogo task in which tones were presented with equal probability. Half of the participants were asked to respond to the short sounds, the other half to long sounds. Primacy bias was initially abolished but returned dependent upon the gostimulus the participant was assigned. Results demonstrate a long-term impact of prior learning on deviance detection; and that even when prior importance/equivalence is learned, the bias ultimately returns. Results are discussed in terms of persistent go-stimulus-specific changes in responsiveness to sound.

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