August 2011 PMID 21737339

Empirical support for higher-order theories of conscious awareness.

Hakwan Lau, David Rosenthal

Mentions

9
Peak: 2 in Jan 2021
across 3 sources since Apr 2019

Extended reach

21,286
potential audience

Total likes

471

Video views

10,484

Mentions per month

Apr 2019 – Oct 2025

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter5 posts
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Facebook2 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions revolve around empirical and neural evidence supporting higher-order theories, with participants citing influential studies like Lau & Rosenthal (2011) and mentioning concepts such as prefrontal activity and IIT, demonstrating moderate engagement through specific references and thoughtful commentary, which collectively suggest an overall positive reception and perceived importance of the publication.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions reflect a positive or supportive attitude toward the higher-order theories, with some referencing empirical support and prior influential work.

InterestModerate interest

The conversations indicate moderate interest with references to foundational studies, neural correlates, and particular theories like IIT, which suggest curiosity about the topic's scientific nuances.

EngagementModerate engagement

Participants engage by referencing specific research, such as Lau & Rosenthal’s 2011 paper, and discussing theories like prefrontal activity, showing thoughtful involvement, not just surface-level mentions.

ImpactModerate impact

The discussions highlight the publication's relevance to ongoing debates about the neural basis of consciousness and empirical support, indicating a noticeable influence on scholarly dialogues.

Abstract in brief

  • Higher-order theories of consciousness suggest that being aware of our mental states depends on having mental representations of ourselves in those states, and this idea is central to recent discussions on awareness.
  • The article reviews empirical evidence that supports the higher-order view and distinguishes it from other theories like the first-order global workspace and recurrent visual processing theories.
  • It also addresses criticisms, such as the idea that prefrontal activity only reflects attention rather than awareness and that damage to the prefrontal cortex doesn’t eliminate awareness, demonstrating that the higher-order approach is testable and supported by research.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
hakwan lau
@hakwanlau · X

2/ according to IIT, consciousness may be functionally important if the task requires very complex and context-dependent stimulus-response mapping. that idea was suggested by Giulio. https://t.co/y8bg2RwZGx

Nov 1, 2021 · 5 likes · 7,399 followers View post →
Martin Grund
@GrundMar · X

@moritz_stefaner @BorisBernhardt @michagaebler @TimKietzmann @fabianstelzer For the neural correlates of consciouness, I still like this one from 2011 by @hakwanlau: https://t.co/77oLLYAvm9

Feb 5, 2022 · 3 likes · 2,104 followers View post →
MH Manuel Haqiqatkhah
@_psyguy · X

"Empirical support for higher-order theories of conscious awareness." Lau, H., & Rosenthal, D. (2011), in Trends in cognitive sciences. DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2011.05.009 https://t.co/4OEbaW1gw0 https://t.co/4p52bAiHSz

Apr 28, 2019 · 1 like · 420 followers View post →
De myth ology
@kevinmcld · X

RT @AliPournaghdali: @CharlotteGuo5 This might be a good starting point: https://t.co/x8M7eZi36o

Jan 10, 2021 · 1 share · 741 followers View post →

All mentions

Martin Grund
@GrundMar · X

@moritz_stefaner @BorisBernhardt @michagaebler @TimKietzmann @fabianstelzer For the neural correlates of consciouness, I still like this one from 2011 by @hakwanlau: https://t.co/77oLLYAvm9

Feb 5, 2022 · 3 likes · 2,104 followers View post →
hakwan lau
@hakwanlau · X

2/ according to IIT, consciousness may be functionally important if the task requires very complex and context-dependent stimulus-response mapping. that idea was suggested by Giulio. https://t.co/y8bg2RwZGx

Nov 1, 2021 · 5 likes · 7,399 followers View post →
De myth ology
@kevinmcld · X

RT @AliPournaghdali: @CharlotteGuo5 This might be a good starting point: https://t.co/x8M7eZi36o

Jan 10, 2021 · 1 share · 741 followers View post →
Ali Pournaghdali
@AliPournaghdali · X

@CharlotteGuo5 This might be a good starting point: https://t.co/x8M7eZi36o

Jan 10, 2021 · 1 share · 135 followers View post →
MH Manuel Haqiqatkhah
@_psyguy · X

"Empirical support for higher-order theories of conscious awareness." Lau, H., & Rosenthal, D. (2011), in Trends in cognitive sciences. DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2011.05.009 https://t.co/4OEbaW1gw0 https://t.co/4p52bAiHSz

Apr 28, 2019 · 1 like · 420 followers View post →