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The two-visual-systems hypothesis and the perspectival features of visual experience
Robert T Foley1, Robert L Whitwell2, Melvyn A Goodale3
1The Rotman Institute of Philosophy, The University of Western Ontario, Canada; The Department of Philosophy, The University of Western Ontario, Canada; The Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, Canada.
Consciousness and Cognition
|March 31, 2015
Summary
The two-visual-systems hypothesis (TVSH) reconciles visual perception and action control. This framework aligns with the egocentric nature of visual experience, addressing criticisms regarding frame of reference.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- The two-visual-systems hypothesis (TVSH) posits distinct processing streams for vision: the ventral (perception) in allocentric frames and the dorsal (action) in egocentric frames.
- Critics argue the TVSH conflicts with the egocentric nature of visual experience, as dorsal stream processing is excluded from conscious perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the compatibility of the two-visual-systems hypothesis (TVSH) with a perspectival account of visual experience.
- To address criticisms suggesting the TVSH cannot account for the egocentric features of visual perception.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the functional outputs of the ventral and dorsal visual streams.
- Re-evaluation of how operations for perception and action are specified within the TVSH framework.
Main Results:
- The TVSH is compatible with a perspectival account of visual experience.
- Criticisms arise from a misunderstanding of how the TVSH specifies the operations of its two systems based on their respective outputs.
Conclusions:
- The TVSH can fully accommodate the egocentric nature of visual experience.
- Understanding the distinct outputs of the ventral and dorsal streams is key to resolving apparent conflicts with perspectival accounts.
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