Visual location and form analysis: An oddball event-related potentials study

Changes in the frequency of occurrence of two visual stimuli elicit a class ical event-related potential termed "oddball effect." Shapes and pictures h ave always been used in this paradigm, thereby triggering the activity of t he ventral visual pathway. The present study explored whether an oddball ef fect could be elicited by the manipulation of a stimulus location, which wo uld involve the functions of the dorsal visual pathway. The oddball effect was found in both "shape" and "location" conditions, but no topographical d ifferences were observed via this manipulation. These results support the n otion that the P300 component is induced by higher cognitive processes, rat her than changes in external characteristics of a stimulus (Donchin, 1986). (C) 1999 Academic Press.