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Theory Of Consciousness - S. Dehaene, L. Naccache
Seminar Paper - Psychology
Date : 05/02/2017
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Uploaded by : Ondřej
Uploaded on : 05/02/2017
Subject : English
IINTRODUCTION
The subject of this seminar work is the theory of global workspace (Eng. Global Workspace Theory, hereinafter GWT) has developed the first Bernard J. Baars (1988). We will focus primarily on the specialized treatment of neuronal (Neuronal Global Workspace Theory, hereinafter GNWT), presented by Stanislas Dehaene and Lionel Naccache1, and related research. Finally, we evaluate the scientific contributions in the field of cognitive theory of consciousness research and the relevance of the results within the theory itself.
THEORY AND RESEARCH
Baarsova original GWT includes at least five fundamental assumptions (Baars, 1988), but we`ll deal only with The more significant for the GNWT. The basic premise holds that our consciousness2 covers only a small fraction of the total amount of information that the brain processes at the moment (Eysenck and Keane, 2010). Within GWT, therefore, workspace corresponds to the working memory, which input is our attention. Baars and Franklin (2007) uses the metaphor of "theater stage" as the audience in the theater sees the brightest spotlight illuminated stage area, as well as the contents of our conscious minds are made up of information on which we focus our pozornost3. In this analogy, however, by the GWT can take place on the stage of many other phenomena that our brain processes, which of course happens without our conscious participation.
The second assumption is Baarsovým concept of cognitive processing as a whole, coordinated, functionally specialized units (CPUs), for example, responsible for different aspects of visual perception - color or pohybu4 (Eysenck and Keane, 2010).
The third important condition is called. Hypothesis Global Approach (Eng. The Global Access Hypothesis), according to which "only conscious contents, not the unconscious, causing extended activation in the brain across different cortical areas" (Baars and Franklin, 2007, p. 956) .
Dehaene and Naccache (2001) presented a more thorough version of GWT which was aimed at identifying key cortical regions associated with conscious content. In my research used, inter alia, studies relating to the perception of movement (Watson et al., 1993), in which systematic correlation was found in the activation of V5 (or MT) and the perception of movement, even during complex experiments using the optical illusion. But as the authors themselves mention, "correlation does not imply causality" (Dehaene and Naccache, 2001, p. 23). Therefore they used the research to patients with brain lesions and surrounding areas FFA5 V5 (Young, 1992 Zeki, 1993), whose conclusions confirm initial assumptions - in both cases ,, patients selectively lose the visual sensations of movement or face "6 (Dehaene and Naccache, 2001 , p. 23). As recent research study, which demonstrates the validity GNWT, we mention application TMS7 in V5 (Walsh, Ellison, Battelli, & Cowe, 1998) which, in line with previous results, also prevent the optic sensation of movement.
CONCLUSION
Relevantost GNTW was confirmed by several experiments, the identification of correlates of brain responsible for certain aspects of consciousness can be considered a great success. Answering the "problem consciousness", as defined by the philosopher David Chalmers is still at a very theoretical level, the research in the field, however, is rapidly increasing. Assuming linear coherence of selective attention and consciousness at this moment seems justified, but there are theories according to which, on the contrary, consciousness precedes attention (Lamme, 2003) Were were, however, forced to omit them due to the limited scope of this paper.
Notes
1 The GNWT has also contributed significantly to Jean-Pierre Changeux and colleagues, however, groups of asylum seekers in our study cited.
2 The term consciousness is used here as equivalent Eng. deadline conscious awareness.
3 This is a very simplistic descri ption of the mechanism of attention and consciousness There are not considering the impact of vigilance, lucidity and involuntary attention.
4 At an early stage in terms of area V1 and V2, V4 and V5 further (or V4, MT and MST).
5 fusiform face area - an area of the brain responsible for facial recognition.
6 In the original wording "selectively lose the conscious visual perception of faces or motion."
7 Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a technique in which the influence of the magnetic pulses will undermine the function of the cortical areas.
LITERATURE
Baars, B. J. (2011). A cognitive theory of Consciousness. Kindle edition published by the author.
Baars, B. J., & Franklin, S. (2007). An architectural model of conscious and unconscious brain functions: Global Workspace Theory and IDA. Neural Networks, 20, 955-961.
Dehaene, S., & Naccache, L. (2001). Towards a Cognitive Neuroscience of Consciousness: basic evidence and a workspace framework. Cognition, 79 (1), 1-37.
Walsh, V., Ellison, A., Battelli, L., & Cowe, A. (1998). Task-specific impairments and enhancements induced by magnetic stimulation of human visual area V5. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 265 (1395), 537-543. doi: 10.1098 / rspb.1998.0328
Eysenck, M. W., & Keane, M. T. (2010). Cognitive psychology: a student`s handbook (6th ed.) (Pp 619-627). New York: Psychology Press.
The subject of this seminar work is the theory of global workspace (Eng. Global Workspace Theory, hereinafter GWT) has developed the first Bernard J. Baars (1988). We will focus primarily on the specialized treatment of neuronal (Neuronal Global Workspace Theory, hereinafter GNWT), presented by Stanislas Dehaene and Lionel Naccache1, and related research. Finally, we evaluate the scientific contributions in the field of cognitive theory of consciousness research and the relevance of the results within the theory itself.
THEORY AND RESEARCH
Baarsova original GWT includes at least five fundamental assumptions (Baars, 1988), but we`ll deal only with The more significant for the GNWT. The basic premise holds that our consciousness2 covers only a small fraction of the total amount of information that the brain processes at the moment (Eysenck and Keane, 2010). Within GWT, therefore, workspace corresponds to the working memory, which input is our attention. Baars and Franklin (2007) uses the metaphor of "theater stage" as the audience in the theater sees the brightest spotlight illuminated stage area, as well as the contents of our conscious minds are made up of information on which we focus our pozornost3. In this analogy, however, by the GWT can take place on the stage of many other phenomena that our brain processes, which of course happens without our conscious participation.
The second assumption is Baarsovým concept of cognitive processing as a whole, coordinated, functionally specialized units (CPUs), for example, responsible for different aspects of visual perception - color or pohybu4 (Eysenck and Keane, 2010).
The third important condition is called. Hypothesis Global Approach (Eng. The Global Access Hypothesis), according to which "only conscious contents, not the unconscious, causing extended activation in the brain across different cortical areas" (Baars and Franklin, 2007, p. 956) .
Dehaene and Naccache (2001) presented a more thorough version of GWT which was aimed at identifying key cortical regions associated with conscious content. In my research used, inter alia, studies relating to the perception of movement (Watson et al., 1993), in which systematic correlation was found in the activation of V5 (or MT) and the perception of movement, even during complex experiments using the optical illusion. But as the authors themselves mention, "correlation does not imply causality" (Dehaene and Naccache, 2001, p. 23). Therefore they used the research to patients with brain lesions and surrounding areas FFA5 V5 (Young, 1992 Zeki, 1993), whose conclusions confirm initial assumptions - in both cases ,, patients selectively lose the visual sensations of movement or face "6 (Dehaene and Naccache, 2001 , p. 23). As recent research study, which demonstrates the validity GNWT, we mention application TMS7 in V5 (Walsh, Ellison, Battelli, & Cowe, 1998) which, in line with previous results, also prevent the optic sensation of movement.
CONCLUSION
Relevantost GNTW was confirmed by several experiments, the identification of correlates of brain responsible for certain aspects of consciousness can be considered a great success. Answering the "problem consciousness", as defined by the philosopher David Chalmers is still at a very theoretical level, the research in the field, however, is rapidly increasing. Assuming linear coherence of selective attention and consciousness at this moment seems justified, but there are theories according to which, on the contrary, consciousness precedes attention (Lamme, 2003) Were were, however, forced to omit them due to the limited scope of this paper.
Notes
1 The GNWT has also contributed significantly to Jean-Pierre Changeux and colleagues, however, groups of asylum seekers in our study cited.
2 The term consciousness is used here as equivalent Eng. deadline conscious awareness.
3 This is a very simplistic descri ption of the mechanism of attention and consciousness There are not considering the impact of vigilance, lucidity and involuntary attention.
4 At an early stage in terms of area V1 and V2, V4 and V5 further (or V4, MT and MST).
5 fusiform face area - an area of the brain responsible for facial recognition.
6 In the original wording "selectively lose the conscious visual perception of faces or motion."
7 Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a technique in which the influence of the magnetic pulses will undermine the function of the cortical areas.
LITERATURE
Baars, B. J. (2011). A cognitive theory of Consciousness. Kindle edition published by the author.
Baars, B. J., & Franklin, S. (2007). An architectural model of conscious and unconscious brain functions: Global Workspace Theory and IDA. Neural Networks, 20, 955-961.
Dehaene, S., & Naccache, L. (2001). Towards a Cognitive Neuroscience of Consciousness: basic evidence and a workspace framework. Cognition, 79 (1), 1-37.
Walsh, V., Ellison, A., Battelli, L., & Cowe, A. (1998). Task-specific impairments and enhancements induced by magnetic stimulation of human visual area V5. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 265 (1395), 537-543. doi: 10.1098 / rspb.1998.0328
Eysenck, M. W., & Keane, M. T. (2010). Cognitive psychology: a student`s handbook (6th ed.) (Pp 619-627). New York: Psychology Press.
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