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THE CONTENTS OF CONSCIOUSNESS: A NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL CONJECTURE

Gray , Jeffrey A. (1995) THE CONTENTS OF CONSCIOUSNESS: A NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL CONJECTURE.

Short Abstract:

Drawing on previous models of anxiety, intermediate memory, the positive symptoms of schizophrenia and goal-directed behaviour, a neuropsychological hypothesis is proposed for the generation of the contents of consciousness. It is suggested that these correspond to the outputs of a comparator that, on a moment-by-moment basis, compares the current state of the organism's perceptual world with a predicted state. An outline is given of the information-processing functions of the comparator system and of the neural systems which mediate them. The hypothesis appears to be able to account for a number of key features of the contents of consciousness. However, it is argued that neither this nor any existing comparable hypothesis is yet able to explain why the brain should generate conscious experience of any kind at all.

Long Abstract:

Drawing on previous models of anxiety, intermediate memory, the positive symptoms of schizophrenia and goal-directed behaviour, a neuropsychological hypothesis is proposed for the generation of the contents of consciousness. It is suggested that these correspond to the outputs of a comparator that, on a moment-by-moment basis, compares the current state of the organism's perceptual world with a predicted state. An outline is given of the information-processing functions of the comparator system and of the neural systems which mediate them. The hypothesis appears to be able to account for a number of key features of the contents of consciousness. However, it is argued that neither this nor any existing comparable hypothesis is yet able to explain why the brain should generate conscious experience of any kind at all.

Keywords:	Conciousness, contents of consciousness, comparator, septohippocampal system, anxiety, schizophrenia.
Subjects:	Psychology: Clinical Psychology Psychology: Consciousness Studies Neuroscience: Neuroanatomy Neuroscience: Neuropsychology
ID code:	bbs00000552
Deposited by:	Jeffrey Gray on 02 May 2001