The Misunderstood Higher-Order Approach to Consciousness

Abstract

Critics have often misunderstood the higher-order theory (HOT) of consciousness. Here we clarify its position on several issues, and distinguish it from other views such as the global workspace theory (GWT) and early sensory models, such as first-order local recurrency theory. The criticism that HOT overintellectualizes conscious experience is inaccurate because in reality the theory assumes minimal cognitive functions for consciousness; in this sense it is an intermediate position between GWT and early sensory views, and plausibly accounts for shortcomings of both. Further, compared to other existing theories, HOT can more readily account for complex everyday experiences, such as of emotions and episodic memories, and make HOT potentially useful as a framework for conceptualizing pathological mental states.

Awareness as inference in a higher-order state space

“…A stronger reading of the model is that conscious experience and metacognitive reports depend on shared mechanisms [44,45]. This stronger version shares many similarities with higher-order theories of consciousness, particularly Lau's proposal that consciousness involves "signal detection on the mind" [41].…”

Integrated Information Theory, Pseudoscience, and Mainstream Theories of Consciousness: A Call for 'The Science We Need'

“…Notable examples of 'mainstream' (or dynamically-orthodox) theories include IIT, Global Neuronal Workspace Theory ('GNW', [6]), Predictive Coding ('PC', [7]), Higher-Order Thought ('HoT', [8]), and many others [9,10].…”

The New Ledoux: Survival Circuits and the Surplus Meaning of ‘Fear’

“…Which of these accounts is correct is an empirical matter. For LeDoux, the fact Also see Brown, Lau and LeDoux (2019) and LeDoux (2019) 24 They also mention a neuro-behaviourist position, which I shall leave aside for it forgoes realism the the neuro-cognitive account does a better job of explaining various puzzles in the field, provides abductive grounds to prefer it over these rival accounts. This is often 27 supplemented by other considerations, e.g.…”