Olfaction, valuation, and action: reorienting perception

Frontiers in Psychology

Jason B. Castro¹ 

关键词: piriform cortex;    value encoding;    olfactory bulb model;    affective neuroscience;    hedonic valence;    categorical perception;    object perception;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00299

学科分类：心理学（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

In the philosophy of perception, olfaction is the perennial problem child, presenting a range of difficulties to those seeking to define its proper referents, and its phenomenological content. Here, we argue that many of these difficulties can be resolved by recognizing the object-like representation of odors in the brain, and by postulating that the basic objects of olfaction are best defined by their biological value to the organism, rather than physicochemical dimensions of stimuli. Building on this organism-centered account, we speculate that the phenomenological space of olfaction is organized into a number of coarse affective dimensions that apply categorically. This organization may be especially useful for coupling sensation to decision making and instrumental action in a sensory modality where the stimulus space is especially complex and high dimensional.

【 授权许可】

CC BY