Human olfactory consciousness and cognition : its unusual features may not result from unusual functions but from limited neocortical processing resources

Richard J. Stevenson, Tuki Attuquayefio

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Human and animal olfactory perception is shaped both by functional demands and by various environmental constraints seemingly peculiar to chemical stimuli. These demands and constraints may have generated a sensory system that is cognitively distinct from the major senses. In this article we identify these various functional demands and constraints, and examine whether they can be used to account for olfaction's unique cognitive features on a case-by-case basis. We then use this as grounds to argue that specific conscious processes do have functional value, a finding that naturally emerges when a comparative approach to consciousness across the senses is adopted. More generally, we conclude that certain peculiar features of olfactory cognition may owe more to limited neocortical processing resources, than they do to the challenges faced by perceiving chemical stimuli.
Original languageEnglish
Article number819
Number of pages12
JournalFrontiers in Psychology
Volume4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

Open Access - Access Right Statement

© 2013 The authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Human olfactory consciousness and cognition : its unusual features may not result from unusual functions but from limited neocortical processing resources'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this