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De-confounding the neural constitution of phenomenal consciousness from attention, report and memory

Jeroen J A Van Boxtel, Naotsugu Tsuchiya

Advances in Consciousness Research June 17, 2015 DOI: 10.1075/aicr.92.04box (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Citations 11
Key points Argues that attention, report, and memory are confounds that must be carefully controlled in studies of phenomenal consciousness, and that report and memory are neither necessary nor sufficient for it.

Abstract

In this chapter, we discuss possible confounds that need to be carefully controlled for when the neural constitution of phenomenal conscious perception is studied. First, we discuss previous psychological or neural studies that clearly dissociated confounding factors (in particular, attention, report and memory) from phenomenal consciousness. We discuss several important phenomena and experimental methods (e.g., aftereffects, change blindness and inattentional blindness, and brain-imaging results) whose implications for the theory of consciousness might be contaminated by the influence of attention, report and memory. Finally, we discuss necessity and sufficiency of report and memory for phenomenal consciousness.