Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026
05:26
Enactive Phenomenological Approach to the Trier Social Stress Test: A Mixed Methods Point of View
Published on: January 7, 2019
The myth of phenomenological overflow
1CUNY LaGuardia, 31-10 Thompson Ave., Long Island City, NY 11101, USA. onemorebrown@gmail.com
Consciousness and Cognition
|July 26, 2011
Summary
This study argues against first-order theories of consciousness, challenging the idea of "phenomenological overflow" using empirical evidence. It supports higher-order theories as a better explanation for consciousness.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Mind
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Theories of consciousness debate whether conscious states are first-order or higher-order mental states.
- Empirical evidence is often cited to support or refute these competing theories.
- The concept of 'phenomenological overflow' is a key point of contention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the dispute between Hakwan Lau, Ned Block, and David Rosenthal regarding empirical evidence and consciousness theories.
- To present an argument to the best explanation favoring higher-order theories of consciousness.
- To critically examine and refute the notion of phenomenological overflow.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical analysis of existing arguments and empirical data.
- Argumentation based on the principle of 'inference to the best explanation'.
- Conceptual analysis of first-order and higher-order theories of consciousness.
Main Results:
- Empirical results provide a stronger case for higher-order theories of consciousness.
- The concept of phenomenological overflow is shown to be theoretically problematic and empirically unsupported.
- An argument to the best explanation is developed against first-order theories.
Conclusions:
- Higher-order theories of consciousness offer a more parsimonious and empirically supported account.
- The dispute highlights the crucial role of empirical evidence in adjudicating between theories of consciousness.
- The notion of phenomenological overflow should be rejected in favor of more robust explanations.
More Related Videos
05:22Dissociation of the Confounding Influences of Expectancy and Integrative Difficulty Residing in Anomalous Sentences in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: May 9, 2019
07:20Observing the Transformation of Bodily Self-consciousness in the Squeeze-machine Experiment
Published on: March 8, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:14Gestalt Psychology
Gestalt psychology, founded by Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler, emphasizes the importance of understanding perception as an organized whole. Developed as a counter to Wilhelm Wundt's structuralism, this approach posits that our perceptions are more than just the sum of sensory parts; they are comprehensive wholes where the relationships between parts define the perception. The principle "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" encapsulates this view, illustrating how...
01:15Theories of Dissolution: Diffusion Layer Model
Dissolution, the process by which drug particles dissolve in a solvent, is explained by the diffusion layer model, a theoretical framework that simulates the absorption of oral drugs and allows us to analyze experimental data.
This process starts with a thin layer, saturated with the drug, forming at the interface between the solid and liquid. The solute then diffuses from this layer into the main solution. The Noyes-Whitney equation suggests that the rate of dissolution relies on the diffusion...
This process starts with a thin layer, saturated with the drug, forming at the interface between the solid and liquid. The solute then diffuses from this layer into the main solution. The Noyes-Whitney equation suggests that the rate of dissolution relies on the diffusion...
01:24Humanistic Psychology
Humanistic psychology emerged in the mid-20th century as a response to the deterministic and pessimistic nature of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. While behaviorism focused on observable behaviors influenced by the environment and psychoanalysis delved into unconscious motivations, both theories suggested that human actions lacked free will. In contrast, humanistic psychology offers a perspective that emphasizes the innate potential for goodness and growth within every individual.
This approach...
This approach...
01:29Magical Thinking
Magical thinking encompasses the belief in assumptions that defy logical reasoning yet appear intuitively convincing. It is a common psychological phenomenon that persists across various cultural and individual contexts. While these assumptions contradict empirical evidence and scientific laws, they often serve meaningful psychological roles in promoting emotional resilience and a sense of control, especially under stress or uncertainty.Thought-Action Fusion and the Law of SimilarityA key...
01:26Structuralism
Structuralism, an early psychological theory developed by Wilhelm Wundt and his student Edward Bradford Titchener, sought to dissect the human mind into its most fundamental components. Wundt's groundbreaking work in his laboratory set the stage for Titchener to define structuralism's goal as cataloging the "atoms" of the mind—sensations, images, and feelings—akin to how chemists identify elements of matter.
Titchener's approach to structuralism was unique. He employed introspection, a method...
Titchener's approach to structuralism was unique. He employed introspection, a method...
01:19Limits with Oscillating Discontinuities
An oscillating discontinuity is a type of discontinuity in which a function’s values fluctuate infinitely often as the input approaches a particular point. Unlike jump discontinuities, where the function suddenly shifts between two values, or infinite discontinuities, where the function diverges without bound, an oscillating discontinuity arises from rapid back-and-forth variation. Because the function never stabilizes toward a single value, no finite limit exists at that point.One of the most...