The relationship between attention and consciousness: an expanded taxonomy and implications for 'no-report' paradigms.
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences September 19, 2018 Michael Pitts, Lydia A Lutsyshyna, Steven A. Hillyard 135 citations
A review of tensions between global neuronal workspace theory and recurrent processing theory focuses on their differing views on the relationship between attention and consciousness. The authors argue that both theories offer key insights that can be reconciled into a novel framework. They propose an updated taxonomy of conscious and non-conscious states that incorporates a wider spectrum by integrating contemporary views on attentional mechanisms interacting with sensory processing. The framework considers whether certain types of attention are necessary for phenomenal and access consciousness. Recent 'no-report' paradigms are reviewed, and methodological misunderstandings are addressed to clarify how to identify the neural basis of perceptual awareness.