Cognition and consciousness : developing a conceptual framework

Abstract

English: The role of consciousness within the process of cognition has been very unclear to date. On the one hand, the phenomenological experience of consciousness is very real but on the other hand, theories of cognition seem to struggle to account for consciousness. Consciousness and related mentalistic phenomena have been neglected to a great extent in the past. It is only recently that cognitive theorists voiced their concern about the neglect of consciousness within cognitive studies and psychology. This study assumed that the difficulty to account for consciousness within cognition is due to the inadequacy of theoretical perspectives. The aim of this study was then to develop a conceptual framework within which the relationship between cognition and consciousness can be viewed, which can also open avenues for theory construction and empirical investigation. To obtain this goal, a particular strategy was followed. The assumption from which the argument in this study originated was that cognition and consciousness must be viewed from a systemic emergentist perspective. From this assumption certain systemic emergentist principles followed which include emergence, structure, function, the fusion between structure and function, the constitution of systemic wholes, and interaction. Two principles, or perspectives, namely structure and function, were used in an heuristic fashion to discuss approaches to consciousness. These two perspectives need to be incorporated in an understanding and definition of consciousness. The same strategy was followed with the analysis of four mainstream approaches to cognition, namely the information processing approach, the move beyond information processing, symbolicism and connectionism. It was hypothesised that the ability to account for the systemic emergentist principles within a particular approach determines its ability to incorporate consciousness within the process of cognition. The nature of structure, function and emergence was clarified from the perspective of General Systems Theory and Emergent lnteractionism. The various approaches to cognition contributed in different ways to the understanding of the systemic emergentist principles. A conceptual model, namely the systemic emergentist model, was developed, based on a principle of a fused function and structure. This means that a system has a microstructure consisting of active and functional elements. The concept of a fused function and structure overcomes the traditional separation of structure and function/process. This fusion enables emergence to take place. Due to the configuration of elements (processes) a system as a whole and its properties emerge. Systems form subsystems in a hierarchical fashion which allows for interaction between levels of systems. Emergents cannot be reduced to the elements of a system. The model was evaluated against the characteristics of cognition and consciousness determined on the psychological and phenomenological levels of analysis. This showed that consciousness is functional and an integral part of the process of cognition. In terms of the requirements for a conceptual model as a rudimentary explanatory and heuristic device, it was found that the systemic emergentist model was able to satisfy these requirements to a large extent. The model was also able to indicate further avenues for research and point out certain deficiencies in itself.

Afrikaans: Tot op hede was die rol van bewussyn in die proses van kognisie onduidelik. Aan die een kant word bewussyn fenomenologies as werklik ervaar, maar aan die ander kant is dit vir kognitiewe teoriee moeilik om vir bewussyn verantwoording te doen. Bewussyn en verwante verstandelike verskynsels is in die verlede tot 'n groat mate afgeskeep. Dit is egter slegs onlangs dat kognitiewe teoretici hul besorgdheid oor die verwaarlosing van bewussyn in kognitiewe studies en sielkunde uitgespreek het. Hierdie studie neem aan dat ontoereikende teoretiese perspektiewe verantwoordelik is vir die onvermoe om rekenskap te gee van bewussyn in kognisie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n konseptuele raamwerk te ontwikkel waarbinne die verwantskap tussen kognisie en bewussyn beskou kan word en waarmee nuwe rigtings vir teoriekonstruksie en empiriese ondersoek aangedui kan word. 'n Spesifieke strategie is gevolg om hierdie doel te bereik. Hierdie studie vertrek van die aanname dat kognisie en bewussyn vanuit 'n sistemiese verskynings- (emergentist) perspektief beskou moet word. Vanuit hierdie perspektief kom sekere sistemiese verskyningsbeginsels na vore wat verskyning, struktuur, funksie, die samesmelting van struktuur en funksie, die konstituering van sistemiese gehele, en interaksie insluit. Twee beginsels of perspektiewe, naamlik struktuur en funksie, is op 'n heuristiese wyse gebruik om benaderings tot bewussyn te bespreek. Hierdie twee perspektiewe behoort in die begrip en definiering van bewussyn ingesluit te word. Dieselfde strategie is gevolg met die ontleding van vier hoofstroombenaderings tot kognisie, naamlik die informasieverwerkingsbenadering, die beweging verby informasieverwerking, simbolisisme, en konneksionisme. Dit is gehipotetiseer dat 'n spesifieke benadering se vermoe om verantwoording te doen vir die sistemiese verskyningsbeginsels, die vermoe om bewussyn in die proses van kognisie in te sluit, bepaal. Die aard van struktuur, funksie en verskyning is verhelder deur 'n bespreking van Algemene Sisteemteorie en Verskynings-lnteraksionisme. Die verskillende benaderings tot kognisie het op verskillende wyses tot die begrip van die sistemiese verskyningsbeginsels bygedra. 'n Konseptuele model, naamlik die sistemiese verskyningsmodel, is ontwikkel wat gebaseer is op die beginsel van 'n verenigde struktuur en funksie. Dit beteken dat 'n sisteem 'n mikrostruktuur het wat uit aktiewe en funksionele elemente bestaan. Die beginsel van 'n verenigde struktuur en funksie oorbrug die tradisionele skeiding tussen struktuur en funksiejproses. Die samesmelting het verskyning tot gevolg. Weens die konfigurasie van elemente (prosesse), verskyn 'n sisteem as geheel met sy eienskappe. Sisteme vorm subsisteme op hierargiese wyse wat wisselwerking tussen vlakke van sisteme bewerkstellig. Verskynings kan nie tot die elemente van 'n sisteem gereduseer word nie. Die model is geevalueer met die kenmerke van kognisie en bewussyn wat op 'n sielkundige en fenomenologiese vlak van ontleding bepaal is. Dit het aangetoon dat bewussyn funksioneel is en integraal is tot kognisie. Dit is bevind dat die sistemiese verskynsingsmodel die meeste van die vereistes van 'n konseptuele model as 'n rudimentere verklarings- en heuristiese meganisme kon bevredig. Die model was ook in staat om verdere rigtings vir navorsing aan te dui, asook om sekere gebreke in die model self aan te dui.