Cognitive factors correlating with the metacognition of the phenomenal properties of experience.
Scientific Reports November 27, 2013 DOI: 10.1038/srep03354 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Humans Life style Awareness Consciousness Aging Internet Adolescent Middle aged Female Young adult Surveys and questionnaires |
| Key points | The author reports that awareness of qualia varied more among subjects than belief in free will, that various cognitive tendencies correlated with the metacognition of phenomenal experience, and that awareness of qualia increased significantly with age, suggesting a continuous learning process. The author argues that such heterogeneities in the metacognition of phenomenal properties are important constraints in human cognition. |
Abstract
The awareness of the phenomenal qualities of one's experiences can be considered as an instance of metacognition. Although some people take qualia (sensory qualities such as the redness of red) as salient features of phenomenal experience, others have expressed views that doubt or deny the central importance of qualia. How do such cognitive heterogeneities occur? What parameters influence them? Here I examine the relationship between the awareness of the phenomenal qualities of subjective experience (qualia and free will) and general cognitive tendencies. The awareness of qualia was found to be more varied among subjects compared to the belief in free will. Various cognitive tendencies correlated with the metacognition of phenomenal experience. The awareness of qualia was found to increase significantly with age, suggesting a continuous learning process. These results suggest that heterogeneities in the metacognition of phenomenal properties of experience are important constraints in human cognition.