A construct-first approach to consciousness science.

Area of Science:

• Consciousness Science
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Philosophy of Mind

Background:

• Current consciousness science often involves complex comparisons between competing theoretical positions.
• Existing theories rely on central assumptions about core constructs like global workspace, recurrent processing, and metarepresentation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel, construct-first methodology for advancing consciousness science.
• To shift focus from comparing entire theories to analyzing their fundamental assumptions and core constructs.
• To bridge theoretical constructs with underlying neural processing for empirical validation and theoretical innovation.

Main Methods:

• Deconstruct existing theories of consciousness, isolating central assumptions.
• Identify and analyze the primary constructs (e.g., global workspace, recurrent processing, metarepresentation) underpinning these assumptions.
• Investigate the lower-level neural processing mechanisms associated with these core constructs.
• Explore the compatibility and potential integration of these lower-level neural constructs.

Main Results:

• This approach offers an alternative to direct theory comparison.
• It facilitates a clearer understanding of the empirical commitments of current theories.
• It paves the way for developing new theoretical syntheses by examining construct compatibility.

Conclusions:

• A construct-first approach provides a more empirically tractable path in consciousness science.
• Analyzing core constructs and their neural underpinnings enables deeper insights than theory-level comparisons.
• This methodology fosters the development of novel theoretical frameworks and empirical resolutions.