Orienting response

Abstract: Contents: R. Clifton, P. Berman, Preface. P.J. Long, R.F. Simons, M.T.Balaban, Part I:Current Investigations of the Classical Theory of Orienting and Defense. E. Sokolov, J. Cacioppo, Orienting and Defense Reflexes: Vector Coding the Cardiac Response. D. Siddle, O. Lipp, Orienting, Habituation and Information Processing: The Effects of Omission, the Role of Expectancy, and the Problem of Dishabituation. Part II:Biological and Evolutionary Foundations of Orienting, Startle, and Defense: Motivational and Emotional Factors That Modulate Attention. B. Campbell et al., Origins of Orienting and Defensive Responses: An Evolutionary Perspective. M. Davis, The Neurophysiological Basis of Acoustic Startle Modulation: Research on Fear Motivation and Sensory Gating. P. Lang, M. Bradley, B. Cutbert, Motivated Attention: Affect, Activation, and Action. E. Cook, G. Turpin, Differentiating Orienting, Startle, and Defense Responses: The Role of Affect and Its Implications for Psychopathology. A. Ohman, As Fast as the Blink of an Eye: Evolutionary Preparedness for Preattentive Processing of Threat. Part III:Startle Reflex and Electro-Cortical Studies of Attention and Stimulus Gating. H. Hoffman, Attentional Factors in the Elicitation and Modification of the Startle Reaction. S. Hackley, A.J.W. Boelhouwer, The More or Less Startling Effects of Weak Prestimulation -- Revisited: Prepulse Modulation of Multicomponent Blink Reflexes. R.F. Simons, W.M. Perlstein, A Tale of Two Reflexes: An ERP Analysis of Prepulse Inhibition and Orienting. M.E. Dawson, A.M. Schell, N.R. Swerdlow, D.L. Filion, Cognitive, Clinical and Neurophysiological Implications of Startle Modification. C.H.M. Brunia, Gating in Readiness. R. Naatanen, R. Ilmoniemi, K. Alho, Magnetoencephalography in Studies of Attention. Part IV:Studies of Attention, Affect, and Action in Child Development. M. Posner, M.K. Rothbart, G. Gerardi, L. Thomas-Thrapp, Functions of Orienting in Early Infancy. K. Berg, J. Richards, Attention Across Time in Infant Development. M.T. Balaban, N. Snidman, J. Kagan, Attention, Emotion, and Reactivity in Infancy and Early Childhood. J. Campos, R. Kermoian, D. Witherington, H. Chen, Q. Dong, Activity, Attention, and Developmental Transitions in Infancy. F.K. Graham, Afterword: Preattentive Processing and Passive and Active Attention.

Abstract: The foundations of orienting and attention are hypothesized to stem from activation of defensive and appetitive motivational systems that evolved to protect and sustain the life of the individual. Motivational activation initiates a cascade of perceptual and motor processes that facilitate the selection of appropriate behavior. Among these are detection of significance, indexed by a late centro-parietal positivity in the event-related potential, enhanced perceptual processing, indexed by a initial cardiac deceleration, and preparation for action, indexed by electrodermal changes. Data exploring the role of stimulus novelty and significance in orienting are presented that indicate different components of the orienting response habituate at different rates. Taken together, it is suggested that orienting is mediated by activation of fundamental motivational systems that have evolved to support survival.