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No Evidence of Narrowly Defined Cognitive Penetrability in Unambiguous Vision
Nikki A Lammers1,2, Edward H de Haan1,2, Yair Pinto1
1Department of Brain and Cognition, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands.
Frontiers in Psychology
|July 26, 2017
Summary
Cognitive impenetrability, the idea that perception is automatic, is challenged. New research suggests visual illusions in peripheral vision may offer clearer evidence for cognitive penetrability in a narrow sense.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- The classical view posits perception is cognitively impenetrable and modular.
- Recent studies suggest perception is cognitively penetrable, but evidence is debated.
- Distinguishing effects on perception versus memory, attention, or judgment remains challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the evidence for cognitive penetrability of perception.
- To differentiate between broad and narrow definitions of cognitive penetrability.
- To explore the role of peripheral vision in studying narrowly defined cognitive penetrability.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on cognitive penetrability and visual illusions.
- Conceptual analysis distinguishing between broad and narrow senses of cognitive penetrability.
- Argument for peripheral vision as a key area for future research.
Main Results:
- Evidence for cognitive penetrability in a broad sense (including attention/memory) is substantial.
- Convincing evidence for narrowly defined cognitive penetrability (flexible, first-person illusions) is lacking.
- Current research often relies on indirect measures (behavioral, neural) rather than direct subjective experience.
Conclusions:
- The consensus on cognitive penetrability may be premature due to methodological limitations.
- Peripheral vision, with its inherent ambiguity, offers a promising avenue to test narrowly defined cognitive penetrability.
- Further research focusing on subjective experience in ambiguous visual conditions is needed.
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