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Hallucinations and mental imagery demonstrate top-down effects on visual perception.

Piers D L Howe1, Olivia L Carter1

  • 1University of Melbourne,School of Psychological Sciences,The University of Melbourne,Victoria 3010,Australia.pdhowe@unimelb.edu.auocarter@unimelb.edu.auhttp://psych.unimelb.edu.au/people/piers-howehttp://psych.unimelb.edu.au/people/olivia-carter.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|March 31, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Top-down effects, such as hallucinations and mental imagery, drive perception. These examples overcome previous confounds, supporting the role of internal cognitive states in shaping sensory experience.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Psychology of Perception

Background:

  • Top-down effects in perception are debated.
  • Previous studies faced confounds, questioning internal influences on sensory experience.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present examples of perception driven by top-down effects.
  • To address and overcome confounds previously raised against top-down perception theories.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of perceptual phenomena: hallucinations and mental imagery.
  • Comparison with established confounds in perception research.

Main Results:

  • Hallucinations and mental imagery demonstrate perception driven by top-down influences.
  • These examples circumvent the six confounds identified by Firestone & Scholl.

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Conclusions:

  • Internal cognitive states significantly drive perceptual experience.
  • Top-down effects are crucial in shaping what we perceive, independent of external stimuli.