A roadmap for the study of conscious audition and its neural basis.
Andrew R Dykstra, Peter A Cariani, Alexander Gutschalk
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences February 19, 2017 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0103 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA roadmap for studying conscious auditory perception is outlined, emphasizing how conscious experience emerges in complex auditory scenes. The authors argue that most research on the neural basis of conscious perception has come from vision, raising questions about generalizability. They discuss the functional role of the auditory system, identify phenomena that a theory of conscious auditory perception must explain, survey candidate neural correlates from existing literature, and consider implications for a general theory of conscious perception. Outstanding questions and recommended approaches and techniques for addressing them are also presented.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Audition Auditory scene analysis Conscious perception Perceptual awareness |
| Key finding | Research on conscious perception has predominantly focused on vision, and a roadmap for studying conscious auditory perception is needed to test generalizability of theories and understand how conscious perception emerges in complex auditory scenes. |
Abstract
How and which aspects of neural activity give rise to subjective perceptual experience-i.e. conscious perception-is a fundamental question of neuroscience. To date, the vast majority of work concerning this question has come from vision, raising the issue of generalizability of prominent resulting theories. However, recent work has begun to shed light on the neural processes subserving conscious perception in other modalities, particularly audition. Here, we outline a roadmap for the future study of conscious auditory perception and its neural basis, paying particular attention to how conscious perception emerges (and of which elements or groups of elements) in complex auditory scenes. We begin by discussing the functional role of the auditory system, particularly as it pertains to conscious perception. Next, we ask: what are the phenomena that need to be explained by a theory of conscious auditory perception? After surveying the available literature for candidate neural correlates, we end by considering the implications that such results have for a general theory of conscious perception as well as prominent outstanding questions and what approaches/techniques can best be used to address them.This article is part of the themed issue 'Auditory and visual scene analysis'.