6. The Biological Correlate of Conscious Perception

This project is a new and exciting research direction we have recently initiated in our lab.

For many years, people have argued whether our traits are determined by nature and nurture. It is now most commonly believed that both factors determine our traits. However, what it means is that biological factors, such as our genetics, contribute to different characteristics that we have. Indeed, recent research has started to uncover the contribution (limited - but still existing) of genetics to traits such as educational attainment and the decision to immigrate to the city or stay in low socio-economical towns. When scientists try to correlate the genetic background and function of the brain, the field is called imaging genetics.

In parallel, new lines of research have started to show that the bacteria in our guts also contribute to traits such as Neuroticism and sensitivity to pain.

So the biological background of many human traits is starting to be uncovered.

We all know that some of us are taller, some stronger, and some are better musicians.

But are there also individual differences in conscious perception? On its face, it sounds weird. For example, the phenomenal experience when one person sees Red should be like the phenomenal experience when another sees Red. But evidence exists that people are also different in their conscious perception. Most prominently, the differences are manifested in the balance between conscious and unconscious processing.

So we ask ourselves:

Are there genetic correlates for the individual differences in conscious perception?

Are there microbiome correlates for the individual differences in conscious perception?

We are going to study these questions with advanced methods of imaging genetics, microbiome identification, conscious perception psychological experiments, and brain stimulation.

If you want to learn more about this project, if you want to take part in the research, or if you want to volunteer and become a participant, please visit the project website: The Biological Substrates of Conscious Perception and make a contact. Or contact - ycaspi [at] ntu.edu.tw.