An academic survey on theoretical foundations, common assumptions and the current state of consciousness science
Jolien C. Francken, L. Beerendonk, D. Molenaar, Johannes Jacobus Fahrenfort, J. Kiverstein, A. Seth, S. van Gaal
Neuroscience of Consciousness January 1, 2022 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1093/nc/niac011 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
A survey of 166 consciousness researchers reveals ongoing debate about defining and studying consciousness. Most respondents believe machines could be conscious, consciousness is gradual across animals, and unconscious processing covers both low-level and high-level cognition. The results also show which theories of consciousness are considered most promising, how different theories cluster together, which behavioral measures best index consciousness, and which neural measures are seen as likely signatures. These findings provide a snapshot of current views in the field.
Study at a glance
| Design | survey |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 166 |
| Population | consciousness researchers with backgrounds in philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, and computer science, at various career stages |
| Key finding | A majority of surveyed consciousness researchers believe machines could have consciousness, that consciousness is gradual in the animal kingdom, and that unconscious processing is extensive, encompassing both low-level and high-level cognitive functions. |
Abstract
Abstract We report the results of an academic survey into the theoretical and methodological foundations, common assumptions, and the current state of the field of consciousness research. The survey consisted of 22 questions and was distributed on two different occasions of the annual meeting of the Association of the Scientific Study of Consciousness (2018 and 2019). We examined responses from 166 consciousness researchers with different backgrounds (e.g. philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, and computer science) and at various stages of their careers (e.g. junior/senior faculty and graduate/undergraduate students). The results reveal that there remains considerable discussion and debate between the surveyed researchers about the definition of consciousness and the way it should be studied. To highlight a few observations, a majority of respondents believe that machines could have consciousness, that consciousness is a gradual phenomenon in the animal kingdom, and that unconscious processing is extensive, encompassing both low-level and high-level cognitive functions. Further, we show which theories of consciousness are currently considered most promising by respondents and how supposedly different theories cluster together, which dependent measures are considered best to index the presence or absence of consciousness, and which neural measures are thought to be the most likely signatures of consciousness. These findings provide us with a snapshot of the current views of researchers in the field and may therefore help prioritize research and theoretical approaches to foster progress.