The functions of consciousness in visual processing

Consciousness contributes a cluster of functions to visual processing, including increased capacities for semantically processing complex visual stimuli, increased spatiotemporal precision, and increased capacities for representational integration over large spatiotemporal intervals. This position, called functional pluralism, argues that consciousness occupies a variety of different functional roles across different task domains, individuals, and species. The analysis consolidates research from across the cognitive sciences to compare visual system capabilities with and without conscious awareness, yielding functional markers that may guide future research in philosophy and science of consciousness, some of which are not captured by global workspace theory or information integration theory.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Conscious experiences form a relatively diverse class of psychological phenomena, supported by a range of distinct neurobiological mechanisms. This diversity suggests that consciousness occupies a variety of different functional roles across different task domains, individuals, and species; a position I call functional pluralism. In this paper, I begin to tease out some of the functional contributions that consciousness makes to (human) visual processing. Consolidating research from across the cognitive sciences, I discuss semantic and spatiotemporal processing as specific points of comparison between the functional capabilities of the visual system in the presence and absence of conscious awareness. I argue that consciousness contributes a cluster of functions to visual processing; facilitating, among other things, (i) increased capacities for semantically processing informationally complex visual stimuli, (ii) increased spatiotemporal precision, and (iii) increased capacities for representational integration over large spatiotemporal intervals. This sort of analysis should ultimately yield a plurality of functional markers that can be used to guide future research in the philosophy and science of consciousness, some of which are not captured by popular theoretical frameworks like global workspace theory and information integration theory.