EVANSTON, Ill. --- You know the sensation. When something has your full attention you see it vividly. And when you don’t pay attention, you’re liable to miss something important. Now a new Northwestern University study sheds light on how attention operates.The mystery of how attention improves the perception of incoming sensory stimulation has been a long-time concern of scientists. One hypothesis is that when you pay attention neurons produce stronger brain activity, as if the stimulus itself was stronger. That would mean that paying attention might make something appear more intense, and possibly distort its actual appearance.>>> Discuss This Story
