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Thinking through prior bodies: autonomic uncertainty and interoceptive self-inference
Micah Allen1,2,3, Nicolas Legrand1, Camile Maria Costa Correa1
1Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University Hospital, 8000Aarhus, Denmark. Micah@cfin.au.dk nicolas.legrand@cfin.au.dk correa@cfin.au.dk francesca@clin.au.dk https://the-ecg.org/.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|May 29, 2020
Summary
The Bayesian brain uses interoceptive self-inference to estimate uncertainty. This process, guided by internal bodily sensations, complements sociocultural learning for developing prior beliefs in cognitive science.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- The Bayesian brain hypothesis, formalized by the free-energy principle, is a leading theory in cognitive science.
- A key question is how the brain acquires prior beliefs necessary for Bayesian inference.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a complementary model for acquiring prior beliefs within the Bayesian brain framework.
- To investigate the role of interoceptive self-inference in estimating uncertainty.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling integrating interoception with Bayesian inference.
- Conceptual analysis of how internal bodily states inform belief formation and uncertainty estimation.
Main Results:
- Interoceptive self-inference provides a mechanism for the brain to estimate expected uncertainty.
- This internal estimation process complements external, sociocultural sources of prior beliefs.
Conclusions:
- Interoception plays a crucial role in shaping prior beliefs and managing uncertainty within the Bayesian brain.
- A unified model incorporating both internal (interoceptive) and external (sociocultural) influences offers a more complete understanding of Bayesian cognition.
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