A survey of 166 consciousness researchers reveals ongoing debate about the definition and study of consciousness. Most respondents believe machines could have consciousness, that consciousness is gradual across the animal kingdom, and that unconscious processing is extensive, covering both low-level and high-level cognitive functions. The survey identifies which theories of consciousness are considered most promising and how different theories cluster, which dependent measures best index consciousness, and which neural measures are thought to be its most likely signatures. These findings offer a snapshot of current views to help prioritize research and theoretical approaches.
A survey of 232 active consciousness scientists reveals ongoing debate about the definition of consciousness and how to study it. Most respondents believe machines could have consciousness, that consciousness is gradual across the animal kingdom, and that unconscious processing is extensive, covering both low- and high-level cognition. The results identify which theories of consciousness are considered most promising, how different theories cluster, which behavioral measures best index consciousness, and which neural measures are most likely signatures of consciousness. These findings offer a snapshot of dominant views among professionals, potentially helping to prioritize research and theoretical approaches.
Valid predictions improve conscious perception of a second target in an attentional blink task, but only when the predictive first target is consciously seen. Unseen first targets do not produce this benefit, regardless of the time interval between targets. The findings clarify how predictive processing and conscious access interact.