Chapter 6 How independent from action control is perception?: An event-coding account for more equally-ranked crosstalks1

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There is an ongoing controversy in the study of visual perception as to how closely visual processes are tied to cognitive processes. The present paper extends this controversy in that it considers crosstalks between the starting and the end point of the information stream, that is, between visual and action-control processes. Though it is usually admitted that action-control processes affect which information is picked up, accentuated, disregarded, or rejected, the traditional view continues to espouse a predominantly one-way route for visual information processing. In the present contribution, an alternative view is developed that allows for more equally-ranked cros-stalks. It is based on the idea that actions are controlled by the anticipation of their intended effects, and that perception and action control therefore share codes in the same representational domain. As a consequence, action-control processes are capable affecting and modifying visual processes in a more elementary manner. Theoretical, neurophysiological as well as behavioral evidence supporting this view will be presented.

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    This research was partially supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG Mu 1298/2). I thank Scott Jordan for his helpful criticism, suggestions, and comments on an earlier version of this paper.

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