What is a visual stream?

Since its discovery in the late 19th century, the dual-stream model of visual processing has undergone significant revisions, including changes to the proposed functions of each stream, the addition of new streams, or proposals to dissolve the model entirely. We propose that work in the philosophy of science can provide conceptual clarity to these discussions, by providing motivated criteria that we can use to shape the contours of what we should consider a visual ‘stream’ or ‘pathway’ to begin with. We propose an answer in this light, and extend it to current literature on a proposed third visual stream.

Recommended citation: Ritchie, J. B., Montesinos, S., & Carter, M. J. (2024). "What is a visual stream?" Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 36(12), 2627–2638.
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