An academic survey on theoretical foundations, common assumptions and the current state of the field of consciousness science
Jolien C. Francken, L. Beerendonk, D. Molenaar, Johannes Jacobus Fahrenfort, J. Kiverstein, A. Seth, S. van Gaal
June 14, 2021 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/8mbsk via Semantic Scholar
Summary
A survey of 232 consciousness scientists reveals ongoing debate about defining and studying consciousness. Most respondents believe machines could have consciousness, that consciousness is gradual across animals, and that unconscious processing is extensive. The survey identifies which theories are considered most promising, how they cluster together, and which behavioral and neural measures best index consciousness. These findings offer a snapshot of current expert views to help prioritize research.
Study at a glance
| Design | survey |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 232 |
| Population | active consciousness scientists from philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, and computer science at various career stages |
| Key finding | A majority of surveyed consciousness scientists believe machines could have consciousness, that consciousness is gradual in the animal kingdom, and that unconscious processing includes both low-level and high-level cognitive functions. |
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 science. The survey consisted of 22 questions, was distributed online and at two different occasions of the annual meeting of the Association of the Scientific Study of Consciousness (ASSC, 2018 and 2019), targeting active scientists in the field only. We examined responses from 232 consciousness scientists with different backgrounds (e.g., philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, computer science) and at various stages of their careers (e.g., junior/senior faculty, graduate/undergraduate students). The results reveal that there remains considerable discussion and debate between 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 as well as high-level cognitive functions. Further, we show which theories of consciousness are currently considered most promising and how supposedly different theories cluster together, which dependent measures are considered the best for indexing 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 current dominant views of professional researchers in the field and therefore may help to prioritize research and theoretical approaches to foster progress.