Imagination, endogenous attention, and mental agency
Tom Cochrane
Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences April 21, 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s11097-023-09909-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Agency philosophy Power physics Cognitive psychology Content measure theory Cognitive science Epistemology Metaphysics |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Proposes that basic mental agency is essentially the power to call for conceptual content and hold it within our working memories. |
Abstract
Abstract This paper develops a mechanistic account of basic mental agency by identifying similarities between two of its major exemplars: endogenous attention and imagination. Five key similarities are identified: (i) that both capacities are driven by currently prioritised goals that are either person-level or apt to become person-level. (ii) that both deliver their outputs to the working memory (iii) that both range across all and only conceptual contents; (iv) that both proceed under the guidance of norms and/or habits; and (v) that both directly activate rather than inhibit content. These five features are consolidated by proposing that basic mental agency is essentially the power to call for conceptual content and hold it within our working memories.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- The Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Consciousness Oxford University Press eBooks July 9, 2020
- Working Memory and Consciousness: The Current State of Play Frontiers in Human Neuroscience March 2, 2018
- What Is the Role of Consciousness in Demonstrative Thought? The Journal of Philosophy 2011
- Meditation and the scope of mental action Philosophical Psychology September 18, 2018
- Consciousness, content, and cognitive attenuation March 14, 2022
and 3 more in the library