Exploring the relationship of phase and peak-frequency EEG alpha-band and beta-band activity to temporal judgments of stimulus duration

Abstract

Pre-stimulus phase has been shown to influence temporal judgments concerning order, causality and simultaneity. One hypothesis is that phase cycles frame discrete perceptual snapshots over time. Yet, existing studies have explored the effect of pre-stimulus phase on fine-grained temporal judgments whereas no study has shown whether pre-stimulus phase influences subsecond temporal judgments lasting several phase cycles. If effects of phase on fine-grained
temporal judgments reflect perceptual framing, then the perception of longer intervals might show some dependency on the frequency of phase cycles. Higher frequencies should promote increased temporal resolution and discrimination. We tested the relationship between the phase and frequency of oscillations and temporal judgments for longer durations. Participants judged the relative duration of two successive intervals lasting several phase cycles each. Pre-stimulus alpha-band and beta-band phase was associated with subsequent temporal judgments, although not sensitivity, therein providing evidence that pre-stimulus phase is related to temporal judgments that span a longer time-scale than has been previously demonstrated. Although we report evidence that peak-frequency of the alpha-band is related to one measure of task performance, this study does not provide evidence that higher peak frequencies of alpha- or beta-band activity are related to improved duration discrimination of longer intervals.

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