Philosophical Investigation of the methodological basis of scientific consciousness studies: toward the process-based approach

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K13147
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Philosophy/Ethics
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Niikawa Takuya 千葉大学, 大学院人文科学研究院, 日本学術振興会特別研究員(PD) (20769658)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 宮原 克典 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 学術研究員 (00772047) ; 西田 知史 国立研究開発法人情報通信研究機構, 脳情報通信融合研究センター脳情報通信融合研究室, 研究員 (90751933)
• Research Collaborator: HAMADA hiroaki 沖縄科学技術大学, 大学院, 大学院生
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 意識 / 神経現象学 / 意識研究 / 経験報告 / 内観

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed a novel methodological framework to explore the dynamic and the structural aspects of consciousness so as to extend the neuroscientific study of consciousness beyond the search for neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs). Such explorations should be greatly facilitated by using first-personal, introspective, or phenomenological reports about conscious experience. Based on this assumption, we explored reliable methods for collecting rich and accurate phenomenological descriptions from naive experimental participants. The first method aimed to train naive participants into competent “phenomenological reporters” in the short-term, that is, within a single visit to the lab. We tested the effectiveness of this method by conducting a psychological experiment. The second method aims to draw rich and accurate reports out of the participants by conducting an interview. We carried out a psychological experiment on binocular rivalry, using this interview method.

Free Research Field

心の哲学、意識の哲学、知覚の哲学、神経現象学