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SUMMARY:Measuring consciousness: From behaviour to neurophysiology - Dr An
 il Seth\, Department of Informatics\, University of Sussex
DTSTART:20100423T153000Z
DTEND:20100423T170000Z
UID:TALK19384@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Marie Dixon
DESCRIPTION:How can we measure whether a particular sensory\, motor\, or c
 ognitive event is consciously experienced or remains unconscious? Such mea
 surements provide the essential data on which a science of consciousness d
 epends\, yet there is no clear consensus on how such measurements should b
 e made. Much of what we know derives from subjective (introspective) verba
 l report\, but on some theories such reports confound mechanisms of metaco
 gnitive access with mechanisms of consciousness and are also susceptible t
 o biases. In response\, there has been a growing emphasis on neurophysiolo
 gical measures as well as on behavioral measures that do not rely on intro
 spection. But for these ‘objective’ measures it can be hard to guarant
 ee that they are measuring consciousness per se. I will review definitiona
 l\, methodological\, and conceptual issues surrounding the problem of meas
 uring consciousness and describe specific examples based on both behavior 
 and on neurophysiology. In the former case I will focus on ‘post-decisio
 n wagering’\, and in the latter\, on measures of ‘complexity’ and 
 ‘causal density’ in neural dynamics. 
LOCATION:Ground Floor Lecture Theatre\, Department of Experimental Psychol
 ogy
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