A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Different Electrophysiological Correlates of Visual Awareness for Detection and Identification
Authors: Koivisto M, Grassini S, Salminen-Vaparanta N, Revonsuo A
Publisher: MIT PRESS
Publication year: 2017
Journal: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Journal name in source: JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
Journal acronym: J COGNITIVE NEUROSCI
Volume: 29
Issue: 9
First page : 1621
Last page: 1631
Number of pages: 11
ISSN: 0898-929X
eISSN: 1530-8898
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_01149
Abstract
Detecting the presence of an object is a different process than identifying the object as a particular object. This difference has not been taken into account in designing experiments on the neural correlates of consciousness. We compared the electrophysiological correlates of conscious detection and identification directly by measuring ERPs while participants performed either a task only requiring the conscious detection of the stimulus or a higher-level task requiring its conscious identification. Behavioral results showed that, even if the stimulus was consciously detected, it was not necessarily identified. A posterior electrophysiological signature 200-300 msec after stimulus onset was sensitive for conscious detection but not for conscious identification, which correlated with a later widespread activity. Thus, we found behavioral and neural evidence for elementary visual experiences, which are not yet enriched with higher-level knowledge. The search for the mechanisms of consciousness should focus on the early elementary phenomenal experiences to avoid the confounding effects of higher-level processes.
Detecting the presence of an object is a different process than identifying the object as a particular object. This difference has not been taken into account in designing experiments on the neural correlates of consciousness. We compared the electrophysiological correlates of conscious detection and identification directly by measuring ERPs while participants performed either a task only requiring the conscious detection of the stimulus or a higher-level task requiring its conscious identification. Behavioral results showed that, even if the stimulus was consciously detected, it was not necessarily identified. A posterior electrophysiological signature 200-300 msec after stimulus onset was sensitive for conscious detection but not for conscious identification, which correlated with a later widespread activity. Thus, we found behavioral and neural evidence for elementary visual experiences, which are not yet enriched with higher-level knowledge. The search for the mechanisms of consciousness should focus on the early elementary phenomenal experiences to avoid the confounding effects of higher-level processes.
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