MBB Undergraduate Workshop 2011:
Attention in Philosophy,
Psychology, and the Neurosciences:
Historical Origins and Present Concerns
Saturday, March 26th, 1:30-5:30 p.m.
William James Hall room 105, 33 Kirkland Street
THEME STATEMENT
Attention is often seen as a subject matter for the hard science of brain processes and not for philosophical speculation about the mind. While it seems connected to our conscious experiencing, attention – unlike consciousness – is portrayed as a purely scientific (and indeed medical) topic, and not as a matter for philosophical theorizing. In this workshop, we are interested in the historical origins and present repercussions of the scientific conception of attention. Its goal is a dialogue between, on the one hand, the early history of psychology before the 20th century and its philosophical precursors, and, on the other hand, contemporary psychology and neuroscience. How did attention become so central in psychology and in what ways, if at all, do the paradigms and assumptions of early psychologists still guide research today?
ORGANIZERS
Sebastian Watzl, Postdoctoral Fellow in Mind/Brain/Behavior, Harvard University
Susanna Siegel, Professor of Philosophy, Harvard University
SPEAKERS
As speakers we will have Gary Hatfield, Jeremy Wolfe and Takeo Watanabe. Gary Hatfield is a philosopher from the University of Pennsylvania. He has written extensively on both the history of psychology, as well as on philosophical issues arising out of contemporary psychology. Jeremy Wolfe is at Harvard Medical School. He is one of the top researchers on the psychology of attention, and is particularly well know for his research on visual search. Takeo Watanabe is from Boston University. He is a major figure in the psychology and neuroscience of attention and specializes on how attention and perceptual learning are connected. We are very exited to have these speakers that bridge several disciplines in the MBB program. The workshop will be a chance for students and others to tackle a foundational question in the science of mind and brain together with top experts in the field. Click on speaker names to link to their homepages.
Gary Hatfield, Adam Seybert Professor in Moral and Intellectual Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania
Jeremy Wolfe, Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
Takeo Watanabe, Professor of Psychology, Boston University
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
(Talks will be 30 min + 25 min discussion. There will be a 5 min break between talks)
1:30 - Coffee and Tea
1:45 - Welcome and Introduction, Sebastian Watzl
2:00 - Gary Hatfield, The Focus of Attention: Past and Present Theories
3:00 - Takeo Watanabe, The Role of Attention in Plasticity
4:00 - Jeremy Wolfe, When Chickens Dance outside the Spotlight: Why Attention Really Matters
5:00 - Roundup and Discussion
PRE-REGISTRATION
Pre-Registration is encouraged. If you have already e-mailed Shawn Harriman to pre-register, you do not need to do so here.