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Limited sensory horizons could just as well make conscious perception more likely, rather than less likely

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 June 2026

Joel S. Snyder Open the ORCID record for Joel S. Snyder [Opens in a new window]
Joel S. Snyder*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA joel.snyder@unlv.edu
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Action may indeed rely on unconscious sensory processing, but that may not be true of perceptual recognition in aquatic species, which in mammals relies on brain circuits that are paradigmatically associated with conscious processing. Perhaps limited sensory horizons even make model-based conscious processing especially important for finding prey and mates, avoiding predators, and navigating underwater environments.

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Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e193
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© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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