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Analyses of visual awareness and qualia by psychophysical methods

Research Project

Project/Area Number 14310036
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field 実験系心理学
Research InstitutionTohoku University

Principal Investigator

GYOBA Jiro  Tohoku University, Graduate School of Arts and Letters, Professor, 大学院・文学研究科, 教授 (50142899)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) KITAOKA Akiyoshi  Ritsumeikan University, College of Letters, Associate Professor, 文学部, 助教授 (70234234)
SAKURAI Kenzo  Tohoku-Gakuin University, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Professor, 教養学部, 教授 (40183818)
IWASAKI Shoichi  Tohoku University, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Professor, 大学院・情報科学研究科, 教授 (90117656)
Project Period (FY) 2002 – 2003
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2003)
Budget Amount *help
¥9,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥9,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥2,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥6,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,400,000)
Keywordspsychophysics / visual awareness / visual qualia / perception / consciousness / visual illusion / attention
Research Abstract

Recently, the problems concerning visual awareness and qualia have been vigorously investigated in the context of brain science elucidating consciousness. In the present study, several experimental researches were carried out using psychophysical methods which enable us to approach and analyze subjective experiences directly.
Firstly, the visual amodal completion was investigated as a phenomenon which produces strong awareness of occluded objects without vivid qualia. By contrast, in the case of modal completion, we can actually perceive the quality of the completed surfaces. We compared the psychophysical findings on amodal and modal completion. Consequently, we psychophysically confirmed that awareness provides flexibility on the output side, while qualia guarantee irrevocability on the input side and have a function of flagging the present, as Ramachandran (1998) and Gregory (1998) have theoretically suggested.
Next, we tentatively assumed a weak correlation between visual qualia and awareness, and classified various paintings into four groups by the combination of low or high activation levels of awareness and qualia. In each group, we found the common characteristics of paintings in relation to the functions of the inferior-temporal cortex and the sensory modules.
It is also suggested that we feel unique qualia when we see visual illusions and the awareness of the occurrence of illusions is an essential constituent in experiencing illusory figures. The qualia specific to visual illusion and the awareness of illusions interact with each other, producing visual amusement in most cases.
Finally, it is pointed out that the strength of attention does not affect the contents of visual qualia but the existence of qualia facilitates the proper allocation of attention.
As mentioned above, clarifying the relationships among awareness, qualia, and attention would be a very important problem for the development of scientific consciousness study.

Report

(3 results)
  • 2003 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 2002 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (32 results)

All Other

All Publications (32 results)

  • [Publications] 行場 次朗: "視覚的補完現象におけるアウェアネスとクオリアの心理物理学的検討"基礎心理学研究. 21. 63-68 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 北岡明佳: "錯視のアウェアネスとクオリアを考える"基礎心理学研究. 21. 69-73 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 岩崎祥一: "視覚における注意と意識の関係"棊礎心理学研究. 21. 74-79 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Sasaki, H, Gyoba, J.: "Selective attention to stimulus features modulates interocular suppression"Perception. 31. 409-419 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Suzuki, M., Gyoba, J.: "Contrastive analysis of sensory-relevance of factors affecting aesthetic impressions."Tohoku Psychologica Folia. 60. 81-92 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 行場 次朗: "視覚的クオリアとアウェアネスの関連性と絵画作品"基礎心理学研究. 22. 102-107 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 鈴木美穂, 行場次朗: "絵画印象と言語印象の因子構造と感覚関連性の分析"心理学研究. 73. 518-522 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 岩崎祥一, 大原貴弘: "注意の捕捉"心理学評論. 46. 462-481 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kitaoka, A., Pinna, B., Brelstaff, G.: "Contrast polarities determine the direction of Cafe wall tilts"Perception. 33. 11-20 (2004)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Gyoba, J.: "Psychophysical investigations of awareness and qualia in visual completion phenomena"The Japanese Journal of Psychonomic Science. 21. 63-68 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kitaoka, A.: "Awareness and qualia of illusion : A preliminary report"The Japanese Journal of Psychonomic Science. 21. 69-73 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Iwasaki, S.: "Relationship between spatial attention and consciousness"The Japanese Journal of Psychonomic Science. 21. 74-79 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Sasaki, H, Gyoba, J.: "Selective attention to stimulus features modulates interocular suppression"Perception. 31. 409-419 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Suzuki, M., Gyoba, J.: "Contrastive analysis of sensory-relevance of factors affecting aesthetic impressions."Tohoku Psychologica Folia. 60. 81-92 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Gyoba, J.: "Investigations of relationships between visual qualia and awareness for classification of paintings"The Japanese Journal of Psychonomic Science. 22. 102-107 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Suzuki, M., Gyoba, J.: "Analyzing the factor structure and the sensory-relevance of Impressions produced by words and drawings"The Japanese Journal of Psychonomic Science. 73. 518-523 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Iwasaki, S., hara, T.: "Attentional capture"Japanese Psychological Review. 48. 462-481 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kitaoka, A., Pinna, B., Brelstaff, G.: "Contrast polarities determine the direction of Cafe wall tilts"Perception. 33. 11-20 (2004)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2003 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Gyoba, J., Suzuki, M., Sakuta, Y.: "Classification of paintings based on activation levels of visual awareness and qualia"Proceeding of Towards a Science of Consciousness 2003. 59 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 行場 次朗: "視覚的クオリアとアウェアネスの関連性と絵画作品"基礎心理学研究. 22. 102-107 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 鈴木美穂, 行場次朗: "絵画印象と言語印象の因子構造と感覚関連性の分析"心理学研究. 73. 518-522 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 岩崎祥一, 大原貴弘: "注意の補足"心理学評論. 46. 462-281 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 北岡明佳: "21世紀初頭は錯視研究の時代となるか?"3D映像. 17. 26-29 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Kitaoka, A., Pinna, B., Brelstaff, G: "Contrast polarities determine the direction of Cafe wall tilts"Perception. 33. 11-20 (2004)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 北岡明佳: "トリックアイズ2"株式会社カンゼン. 63 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 行場 次朗: "視覚的補完現象におけるアウェアネスとクオリアの心理物理学的検討"基礎心理学研究. 21. 63-68 (2002)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 行場次朗, 作田由衣子, 鈴木美穂: "ブレインサイエンスと絵画作品"映像インダストリアル. 3. 83-87 (2002)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 鈴木美穂, 行場次朗: "絵画印象と言語印象の因子構造と感覚関連性の分析"心理学研究. 73. 518-522 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 岩崎祥一: "視覚における注意と意識の関係"基礎心理学研究. 21. 74-79 (2002)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 北岡明佳: "錯視のアウェアネスとクオリアを考える"基礎心理学研究. 21. 69-73 (2002)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 北岡明佳: "21世紀初頭は錯視研究の時代となるか?"3D映像. 17. 26-29 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 北岡明佳: "トリックアイズ"株式会社カンゼン. 63 (2002)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report

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Published: 2002-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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