Higher-order memory schema and consciousness experience. Issue 3 (18th May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brown, Richard; LeDoux, Joseph
• Is Part Of: Cognitive neuropsychology. Volume 37:Issue 3/4(2020)
• Page Start: 213
• Page End: 215
• Publication Date: 2020-05-18
• Subjects: Consciousness -- global workspace -- higher-order thought -- memory schema; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; 152
• DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2020.1729713
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-3294

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In the interesting and thought-provoking article Grazziano and colleagues argue for their Attention Schema Theory (AST) of consciousness. They present AST as a unification of Global Workspace Theory (GWT), Illusionism, and the Higher-Order Thought (HOT) theory. We argue it is a mistake to equate 'subjective experience, ' ad related terms, with dualism. They simply denote experience . Also, as presented, AST does not accurately capture the essence of HOT for two reasons. HOT is presented as a version of strong illusionism, which it isn't, and HOT requires that one be aware of one's mental life, and postulates that his consists in a re-representation of what is occurring at at the lower-order levels. However, the authors deny that AST involves re-representing visual stimuli. We close by proposing an alternative unification: GWT and AST provide crucial accounts of how lower-order states are assembled and maintained, but higher-order theory provides the account of subjective experience.