Perception-action Dissociations as a Window into Consciousness.
Marisa Carrasco, Miriam Spering
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience July 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02122 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that qualitative dissociations between perception and action provide valuable insights into conscious and unconscious processing, and that no-report protocols may overattribute conscious perception based on oculomotor responses. |
Abstract
Understanding the neural correlates of unconscious perception stands as a primary goal of experimental research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. In this Perspectives paper, we explain why experimental protocols probing qualitative dissociations between perception and action provide valuable insights into conscious and unconscious processing, along with their corresponding neural correlates. We present research that utilizes human eye movements as a sensitive indicator of unconscious visual processing. Given the increasing reliance on oculomotor and pupillary responses in consciousness research, these dissociations also provide a cautionary tale about inferring conscious perception solely based on no-report protocols.