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The strength of weak integrated information theory
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-10, 03:14 authored by Pedro A M Mediano, Fernando E Rosas, Daniel Bor, Anil SethAnil Seth, Adam BarrettAdam BarrettThe integrated information theory of consciousness (IIT) is divisive: while some believe it provides an unprecedentedly powerful approach to address the ‘hard problem,’ others dismiss it on grounds that it is untestable. We argue that the appeal and applicability of IIT can be greatly widened if we distinguish two flavours of the theory: Strong IIT, which identifies consciousness with specific properties associated with maxima of integrated information; and Weak IIT, which tests pragmatic hypotheses relating aspects of consciousness to broader measures of information dynamics. We review challenges for Strong IIT, explain how existing empirical findings are well explained by Weak IIT without needing to commit to the entirety of Strong IIT, and discuss the outlook for both flavours of IIT.
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Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Trends in Cognitive SciencesISSN
1364-6613Publisher
ElsevierExternal DOI
Issue
8Volume
26Page range
646-655Department affiliated with
- Informatics Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2022-04-26First Open Access (FOA) Date
2022-08-15First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2022-04-25Usage metrics
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