proceeding

Problems for the Purported Cognitive Penetration of Perceptual Color Experience and Macpherson’s Proposed Mechanism

Authors

• • Steven Gross
  • Johns Hopkins University, USA
• • Thitaporn Chaisilprungraung
  • Johns Hopkins University, USA
• • Elizabeth Kaplan
  • Johns Hopkins University, USA
• • Jorge Aurelio Menendez
  • Johns Hopkins University, USA
• • Jonathan Flombaum
  • Johns Hopkins University, USA

Abstract

Fiona Macpherson (2012) argues that various experimental results provide strong evidence in favor of the cognitive penetration of perceptual color experience. Moreover, she proposes a mechanism for how such cognitive penetration occurs. We argue, first, that the results on which Macpherson relies do not provide strong grounds for her claim of cognitive penetrability; and, second, that, if the results do reflect cognitive penetrability, then time-course considerations raise worries for her proposed mechanism. We base our arguments in part on several of our own experiments, reported herein.

Keywords: perceptual color experience, cognitive penetration, color perception

How to Cite: Gross, S. , Chaisilprungraung, T. , Kaplan, E. , Menendez, J. & Flombaum, J. (2014) “Problems for the Purported Cognitive Penetration of Perceptual Color Experience and Macpherson’s Proposed Mechanism”, Baltic International Yearbook of Cognition, Logic and Communication. 1(2014). doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/1944-3676.1085