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What draws the line between perception and cognition?
Martin Rolfs1, Michael Dambacher2
1Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience & Department of Psychology,Humboldt University of Berlin,10099 Berlin,Germany.martin.rolfs@hu-berlin.dehttp://www.rolfslab.de/.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|March 31, 2017
Summary
Defining perception is key to understanding top-down effects. This study proposes a functional-level distinction between perception and cognition, offering a new framework for analyzing judgment and perception interactions.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Psychology
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Understanding top-down effects on perception necessitates a clear definition of perception.
- Existing phenomenological definitions, like Firestone & Scholl's, are intuitive but may lack functional rigor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a functional-level demarcation between perception and cognition.
- To demonstrate how a functional approach aids in examining the interplay between judging and perceiving.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of perception and cognition.
- Argumentation for a functionalist approach over a phenomenological one.
- Exemplification of the functional approach in analyzing perception-cognition interactions.
Main Results:
- A functional definition provides a more robust criterion for distinguishing perception from cognition.
- This functional approach offers a clearer framework for investigating how judging influences perception.
Conclusions:
- The functional level is the most effective basis for defining perception.
- This framework advances the study of top-down influences in perception and cognition.