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Single mechanism, divergent effects; multiple mechanisms, convergent effect

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2008

Bhavin R. Sheth
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204; brsheth@uh.edu Center for NeuroEngineering and Cognitive Systems, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204; brsheth@uh.edu
Daw-An Wu
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138. daw-an@wjh.harvard.edu

Abstract

It is commonplace for a single physiological mechanism to seed multiple phenomena, and for multiple mechanisms to contribute to a single phenomenon. We propose that the flash-lag effect should not be considered a phenomenon with a single cause. Instead, its various aspects arise from the convergence of a number of different mechanisms proposed in the literature. We further give an example of how a neuron's generic spatio-temporal response profile can form a physiological basis not only of “prediction,” but also of many of the other proposed flash-lag mechanisms, thus recapitulating a spectrum of flash-lag phenomena. Finally, in agreeing that such basic predictive mechanisms are present throughout the brain, we argue that motor prediction contributes more to biological fitness than visual prediction.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright ©Cambridge University Press 2008

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