Publications

Franco-Martínez, A.; [...],; Dell’Acqua, R.; [...],; Gambarota, F.; [...],; Sessa, P.; al.,

Replicating the unconscious working memory effect: A multisite preregistered study Journal Article Forthcoming

In: Neuroscience of Consciousness, Forthcoming.

Ishikawa, Kenta; Dalmaso, Mario; Tanaka, Yoshihiko; Oyama, Takato; Okubo, Matia

Ethnicity does not matter: Comparable reversed congruency effects for gaze stimuli from same- and other-ethnicity faces Journal Article Forthcoming

In: Psychological Research, Forthcoming.

BibTeX

Dalmaso, Mario; Jansarvatan, Maryam; Lorenzoni, Anna; Dalla Bona, Stefano; Vicovaro, Michele

Culture shapes the SNARC-like effect for visual speed Journal Article Forthcoming

In: Psychonomic Bulletin & Review , Forthcoming.

BibTeX

Lomoriello, Arianna Schiano; Sessa, Paola; Dux, Paul E.; Doro, Mattia; Dell’Acqua, Roberto

The time course of attention engagement in a single-stream rapid serial visual presentation design Journal Article Forthcoming

In: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Forthcoming.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@article{nokey,

title = {The time course of attention engagement in a single-stream rapid serial visual presentation design},

author = {Arianna Schiano Lomoriello and Paola Sessa and Paul E. Dux and Mattia Doro and Roberto Dell’Acqua},

url = {https://colab.psy.unipd.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/jocn_abn2pcb_25.pdf},

doi = {10.1162/JOCN.a.2393},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-08-30},

urldate = {2025-08-30},

journal = {Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience},

abstract = {When two stimuli are presented at the same spatial location in close temporal proximity — typically less than 500 milliseconds apart — the second stimulus is often not perceived, a phenomenon known as attentional blink (AB). This striking failure of visual awareness is thought to reflect limitations in the allocation of attention for the selection and consolidation of visual input. While existing models of the AB differ in their predictions regarding when and why attentional engagement is required, no direct neural correlate has yet been identified to track this process during the AB. Here, we propose that the bilateral N2 posterior contralateral (N2pcb) component of the event-related potential (ERP) time-locked to the second stimulus may serve as such a marker. To test this hypothesis, we reanalyzed data from our prior study (Dell’Acqua et al., 2015, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience), in which participants identified target letters embedded in rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) streams of distractor digits. Each RSVP stream ended with either an unmasked letter (target- present trials) or a digit (target-absent trials). Subtracting ERPs elicited in target-absent trials from ERPs elicited in target-present trials revealed that the N2pcb component persisted even during the AB. These findings suggest that attentional engagement for the second target is largely preserved during the blink, indicating that a disruption of attention is not necessary for the AB to occur, and that post-attentional processing limitations likely play a major role — a conclusion consistent with a specific subset of current AB models.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {forthcoming},

tppubtype = {article}

}

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Dalmaso, Mario; Vicovaro, Michele; Saito, Toshiki; Watanabe, Katsumi

We are what we eat: Cross-cultural self-prioritization effects for food stimuli Journal Article Forthcoming

In: British Journal of Psychology, Forthcoming.

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Dalmaso, Mario; Gobbini, Maria Ida; Ricciardelli, Paola; Ritchie, Kay L.; Pecchinenda, Anna

Face perception: A window into the social mind Journal Article

In: Scientific Reports, vol. 15, no. 32362, 2025.

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Gambarota, Filippo; Luria, Roy; Maffei, Antonio; Dell’Acqua, Roberto; Tsuchiya, Naotsugu; Sessa, Paola

Tracking the unconscious: Neural evidence for the retention of unaware information in visual working memory Journal Article Forthcoming

In: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Forthcoming.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Valsecchi, Matteo; Dalmaso, Mario; Castelli, Luigi; Baldini, Eleonora; Galfano, Giovanni

Is mind wandering reflected in microsaccade dynamics? Journal Article

In: Biological Psychology, vol. 200, no. 109109, 2025.

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Dalmaso, Mario; Lorenzoni, Anna; Galfano, Giovanni; Riva, Marta; Castelli, Luigi

Uncovering everyday attention in the lab: Front-viewed heads boost overt social orienting Journal Article

In: Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications , vol. 10, no. 45, 2025.

Links | BibTeX

Peressotti, F; Miozzo, M.

Feeling more in the language used among family and friends. Journal Article

In: Bilingualism: Languge and Cognition, pp. 1-18, 2025.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Vicovaro, Michele; Boscariol, Riccardo; Dalmaso, Mario

A SNARC-like effect for visual speed Journal Article

In: Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, vol. 87, pp. 1042–1059, 2025.

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Dalmaso, Mario; Galfano, Giovanni; Baratella, Alessandra; Castelli, Luigi

A direct comparison of gaze-mediated orienting elicited by schematic and real human faces   Journal Article

In: Acta Psychologica, vol. 255, no. 104934, 2025.

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Chen, Yanzhang; Sessa, Paola; Brigadoi, Sabrina; Petrin, Alberto; Wang, Suiping; Dell'Acqua, Roberto

Vertical elevation as a key factor for the neural distinction of target selection and distractor suppression in visual search Journal Article

In: Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, vol. 24, iss. 5, no. 36513, 2025.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@article{nokey,

title = {Vertical elevation as a key factor for the neural distinction of target selection and distractor suppression in visual search},

author = {Yanzhang Chen and Paola Sessa and Sabrina Brigadoi and Alberto Petrin and Suiping Wang and Roberto Dell'Acqua},

url = {https://colab.psy.unipd.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jin_pd_25-1.pdf},

doi = {10.31083/JIN36513},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-03-10},

urldate = {2025-03-10},

journal = {Journal of Integrative Neuroscience},

volume = {24},

number = {36513},

issue = {5},

abstract = {Background: Directing attention to relevant visual objects while ignoring distracting stimuli is crucial for effective perception and goal-directed behavior. Event-related potential (ERP) studies using the additional-singleton paradigm have provided valuable insights into how the human brain processes competing salient stimuli by monitoring N2pc and PD, two event-related components thought to reflect target selection and distractor suppression, respectively. However, whether these components reflect the activity of a single or distinct neural mechanisms remains controversial. Here, we investigated the neural substrate of N2pc and PD by manipulating the vertical elevation of target and distractor relative to the visual horizontal meridian using two variants of the additional-singleton paradigm.  Methods: In Experiment 1, participants searched for a shape singleton and identified the orientation of an embedded tilted bar while ignoring a color singleton. In Experiment 2, the tilted bars were removed and participants performed a shape search while ignoring a color singleton. EEG recordings at posterior sites (PO7/8) measured N2pc and PD components. Reaction times and ERP amplitudes were analyzed across conditions. Results: The results of both Experiments 1 and 2 showed that N2pc and PD responded in opposite ways to the manipulation of vertical elevation. N2pc was robust for targets in the lower visual hemifield and reversed in polarity (i.e., PNP) for targets in the upper visual hemifield. Conversely, PD was more pronounced for distractors in the upper visual hemifield and nil for those in the lower visual hemifield. Critically, vertical elevation did not influence psychophysical estimates of search efficiency in either experiment, suggesting that the relationship between these components and their functional significance is less straightforward than previously thought. Conclusions: These results provide empirical support for the idea that N2pc and PD are influenced by the retinotopic organization of the visual cortex in a manner consistent with the neural and functional dissociation of target selection and distractor suppression in visual search.

},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

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Background: Directing attention to relevant visual objects while ignoring distracting stimuli is crucial for effective perception and goal-directed behavior. Event-related potential (ERP) studies using the additional-singleton paradigm have provided valuable insights into how the human brain processes competing salient stimuli by monitoring N2pc and PD, two event-related components thought to reflect target selection and distractor suppression, respectively. However, whether these components reflect the activity of a single or distinct neural mechanisms remains controversial. Here, we investigated the neural substrate of N2pc and PD by manipulating the vertical elevation of target and distractor relative to the visual horizontal meridian using two variants of the additional-singleton paradigm. Methods: In Experiment 1, participants searched for a shape singleton and identified the orientation of an embedded tilted bar while ignoring a color singleton. In Experiment 2, the tilted bars were removed and participants performed a shape search while ignoring a color singleton. EEG recordings at posterior sites (PO7/8) measured N2pc and PD components. Reaction times and ERP amplitudes were analyzed across conditions. Results: The results of both Experiments 1 and 2 showed that N2pc and PD responded in opposite ways to the manipulation of vertical elevation. N2pc was robust for targets in the lower visual hemifield and reversed in polarity (i.e., PNP) for targets in the upper visual hemifield. Conversely, PD was more pronounced for distractors in the upper visual hemifield and nil for those in the lower visual hemifield. Critically, vertical elevation did not influence psychophysical estimates of search efficiency in either experiment, suggesting that the relationship between these components and their functional significance is less straightforward than previously thought. Conclusions: These results provide empirical support for the idea that N2pc and PD are influenced by the retinotopic organization of the visual cortex in a manner consistent with the neural and functional dissociation of target selection and distractor suppression in visual search.

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Dux, Paul E.; Dell'Acqua, Roberto; Wyble, Brad

(Temporal) Visual attention not in crisis Journal Article Forthcoming

In: Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Forthcoming.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Gastaldon, Simone; Calignano, Giulia

Linguistic alignment with an artificial agent: A commentary and re-analysis Journal Article

In: Cognition, vol. 259, pp. 106099, 2025.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@article{Gastaldon2025,

title = {Linguistic alignment with an artificial agent: A commentary and re-analysis},

author = {Simone Gastaldon and Giulia Calignano},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2025.106099},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-02-28},

urldate = {2025-02-28},

journal = {Cognition},

volume = {259},

pages = {106099},

abstract = {In this manuscript we provide a commentary and a complementary analysis of Cirillo et al.'s (2022) study on conceptual alignment in a joint picture naming task involving a social robot (Cognition, 227, 105,213). In their study, Cirillo and collaborators present evidence suggesting automatic alignment by examining response proportions, reflecting adaptation to the lexical choices made by the artificial agent (i.e., providing category names instead of basic names for specific semantic categories). Here, we conducted a complementary analysis using the openly available dataset, employing a multiverse approach and focusing on response times as a more nuanced measure of cognitive processing and automaticity. Our findings indicate that alignment in the Category condition (i.e., when the robot provided a superordinate label) is associated with longer response times and greater variability. When providing the basic label in the Basic condition, RTs are much shorter and variability is reduced, compatible with the Basic-level advantage phenomenon. Non-alignment to each condition completely reverses the pattern. This suggests that aligning when producing a superordinate label is a strategic and effortful rather than an automatic response mechanism. Furthermore, through comprehensive visual exploration of response proportions across potentially influential variables, we observed category naming alignment primarily emerging in specific semantic categories, and mostly for stimuli with basic labels at low lexical frequency and newly designed pictures not taken from the MultiPic database, thus suggesting a limited generalizability of the effect. These insights were confirmed using leave-one-out robustness checks. In conclusion, our contribution provides complementary evidence in support of strategic rather than automatic responses when aligning with Category labels in the analyzed dataset, with a limited generalizability despite all the balancing procedures the authors carefully implemented in the experimental material. This is likely to reflect individual task strategies rather than genuine alignment. Lastly, we suggest directions for future research on linguistic alignment, building on insights from both Cirillo et al.'s study and our commentary. We also briefly discuss the Open Science principles that shaped our approach to this work.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

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In this manuscript we provide a commentary and a complementary analysis of Cirillo et al.'s (2022) study on conceptual alignment in a joint picture naming task involving a social robot (Cognition, 227, 105,213). In their study, Cirillo and collaborators present evidence suggesting automatic alignment by examining response proportions, reflecting adaptation to the lexical choices made by the artificial agent (i.e., providing category names instead of basic names for specific semantic categories). Here, we conducted a complementary analysis using the openly available dataset, employing a multiverse approach and focusing on response times as a more nuanced measure of cognitive processing and automaticity. Our findings indicate that alignment in the Category condition (i.e., when the robot provided a superordinate label) is associated with longer response times and greater variability. When providing the basic label in the Basic condition, RTs are much shorter and variability is reduced, compatible with the Basic-level advantage phenomenon. Non-alignment to each condition completely reverses the pattern. This suggests that aligning when producing a superordinate label is a strategic and effortful rather than an automatic response mechanism. Furthermore, through comprehensive visual exploration of response proportions across potentially influential variables, we observed category naming alignment primarily emerging in specific semantic categories, and mostly for stimuli with basic labels at low lexical frequency and newly designed pictures not taken from the MultiPic database, thus suggesting a limited generalizability of the effect. These insights were confirmed using leave-one-out robustness checks. In conclusion, our contribution provides complementary evidence in support of strategic rather than automatic responses when aligning with Category labels in the analyzed dataset, with a limited generalizability despite all the balancing procedures the authors carefully implemented in the experimental material. This is likely to reflect individual task strategies rather than genuine alignment. Lastly, we suggest directions for future research on linguistic alignment, building on insights from both Cirillo et al.'s study and our commentary. We also briefly discuss the Open Science principles that shaped our approach to this work.

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Friedman, Shani; Dell’Acqua, Roberto; Sessa, Paola; Luria, Roy

The effect of occlusion on the visual working memory pointer-system Journal Article

In: Cortex, vol. 183, pp. 373-390, 2025.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@article{nokey,

title = {The effect of occlusion on the visual working memory pointer-system},

author = {Shani Friedman and Roberto Dell’Acqua and Paola Sessa and Roy Luria},

url = {https://colab.psy.unipd.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/cortex_pointsys_25.pdf},

doi = {10.1016/j.cortex.2024.12.018},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-12},

urldate = {2025-01-12},

journal = {Cortex},

volume = {183},

pages = {373-390},

abstract = {To access its online representations, visual working memory (VWM) relies on a pointer-system that creates correspondence between objects in the environment with their memory representations. This pointer-system allows VWM to modify its representations using a process called updating. When the pointer is invalidated, however, VWM triggers a process called resetting in which the no longer relevant representation and pointer are replaced. Past studies used the contralateral delay activity (CDA) to differentiate between updating and resetting and found that resetting is followed by a drop in the CDA amplitude. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of occlusion on VWM representations and the resetting process across four experiments. Experiment 1 examined whether resetting occurs with occluded changes and compared the CDA of occluded versus visible objects. The results indicated a decline in CDA amplitude during occlusion, but it was unclear if resetting occurred when the change was occluded due to the lack of time-locked changes. To better isolate the resetting process, Experiment 2 used a brief occluder appearances (100 ms) and observed a CDA drop likely due to an ERP response to the sudden stimulus appearance. This drop occurred earlier than the resetting CDA drop and appeared even in conditions that did not trigger resetting, which indicates that it might be an ERP response to the short and sudden appearance of a stimulus. Experiment 3 further isolated this ERP response, confirming the early CDA drop as a reaction to the occluder's onset and offset. Experiment 4, which included occluders that did not flash to avoid ERP responses, found a CDA drop indicating that resetting can occur with inferred changes. These findings suggest that VWM maintains representations of occluded objects, and can update or reset these representations based on inferred changes, with brief stimuli eliciting ERP responses that affect CDA amplitude.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

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Sala, Marco; Vespignani, Francesco; Gastaldon, Simone; Casalino, Laura; Peressotti, Francesca

In the Words of Others: ERP Evidence of Speaker-Specific Phonological Prediction Journal Article

In: Psychophysiology, vol. 62, no. 9, pp. e70135, 2025.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@article{sala2025words,

title = {In the Words of Others: ERP Evidence of Speaker-Specific Phonological Prediction},

author = { Marco Sala and Francesco Vespignani and Simone Gastaldon and Laura Casalino and Francesca Peressotti},

editor = {Wiley},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.70135},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

urldate = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Psychophysiology},

volume = {62},

number = {9},

pages = {e70135},

publisher = {Wiley Online Library},

abstract = {Prediction models usually assume that highly constraining contexts allow the pre-activation of phonological information. However, the evidence for phonological prediction is mixed and controversial. In this study, we implement a paradigm that capitalizes on the phonological errors produced by L2 speakers to investigate whether specific phonological predictions are made based on speaker identity. L1 Italian speakers were asked to read sentence fragments, after which a final word was spoken by either an L1- or an L2-accented speaker. The spoken final word could be predictable or not, depending on the sentence context. The identity of the speaker (L1- vs. L2-accented) may or may not be cued by an image of the face of the speaker. Our main analysis indicated that cueing the speaker identity was associated with a larger N400 predictability effect, possibly reflecting an easier processing of predictable words due to phonological pre-activation. As visual inspection of the waveforms revealed a more complex pattern than initially anticipated, we used Temporal EFA (Exploratory Factor Analysis) to identify and disentangle the ERP components underlying the effect observed. In the L1-accent condition, predictable words elicited a posterior positivity relative to unpredictable words, possibly reflecting a P3b response, which was more pronounced when the speaker identity was cued. In the L2-accent condition, cueing the speaker identity was associated with a smaller N1 and a larger P3a response. These results suggest that phonological prediction for L1- and L2-accented speakers likely involves different cognitive processes.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

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Gastaldon, Simone; Busan, Pierpaolo; Molinaro, Nicola; Lizarazu, Mikel

Cortical tracking of speech is reduced in adults who stutter when listening for speaking Journal Article

In: Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, vol. 67, iss. 11, pp. 4339–4357, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@article{Gastaldon2024,

title = {Cortical tracking of speech is reduced in adults who stutter when listening for speaking},

author = {Simone Gastaldon and Pierpaolo Busan and Nicola Molinaro and Mikel Lizarazu},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_JSLHR-24-00227},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-11-07},

urldate = {2024-11-07},

journal = {Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research},

volume = {67},

issue = {11},

pages = {4339–4357},

abstract = {Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to investigate cortical tracking of speech (CTS) in adults who stutter (AWS) compared to typically fluent adults (TFAs) to test the involvement of the speech-motor network in tracking rhythmic speech information.

Method:

Participants' electroencephalogram was recorded while they simply listened to sentences (listening only) or completed them by naming a picture (listening for speaking), thus manipulating the upcoming involvement of speech production. We analyzed speech–brain coherence and brain connectivity during listening.

Results:

During the listening-for-speaking task, AWS exhibited reduced CTS in the 3- to 5-Hz range (theta), corresponding to the syllabic rhythm. The effect was localized in the left inferior parietal and right pre/supplementary motor regions. Connectivity analyses revealed that TFAs had stronger information transfer in the theta range in both tasks in fronto-temporo-parietal regions. When considering the whole sample of participants, increased connectivity from the right superior temporal cortex to the left sensorimotor cortex was correlated with faster naming times in the listening-for-speaking task.

Conclusions:

Atypical speech-motor functioning in stuttering impacts speech perception, especially in situations requiring articulatory alertness. The involvement of frontal and (pre)motor regions in CTS in TFAs is highlighted. Further investigation is needed into speech perception in individuals with speech-motor deficits, especially when smooth transitioning between listening and speaking is required, such as in real-life conversational settings.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}