Tests for Consciousness in Infants

Here is a draft abstract adapted from the talk description: This paper examines the marker method for detecting consciousness, applied to the problem of infant consciousness. After discussing the basic forms of the method, including theory-first, marker-first, and hybrid approaches, I examine three prominent tests: the network test, the global violation (oddball) paradigm, and the attentional blink. I assess the strengths and limitations of each as an indicator of early consciousness, and consider how evidence from multiple markers should be weighed. I argue that markers provide especially strong evidence when they display synchronic convergence — appearing within the same developmental window — and interlevel consistency, with behavioral and neural markers mutually supporting one another. Applying these criteria, I show that the three tests offer cumulative but not conclusive support for the presence of consciousness in early infancy, and I discuss the implications for prenatal consciousness. I conclude by reflecting on persistent expert disagreement in the field, arguing that progress depends not only on developing stronger empirical tests but on refining the methodological criteria by which those tests are evaluated."