ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Consciousness Research
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1520186
This article is part of the Research TopicConsciousness Dilemma: Advancing Methods and Paradigms for Unveiling Consciousness and Its Altered StatesView all 4 articles
Bridging Consciousness and AI: ChatGPT-Assisted Phenomenological Analysis
Provisionally accepted
David Martínez-Pernía*
Alejandro Troncoso
Sergio E. Chaigneau
Nicolás Marchant
Antonia Zepeda
Kevin A. Blanco-Madariaga- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN) School of Psychology, Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, Chile
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Background: Mixed-method studies require adaptation to the era of big data in quantitative research, seeking scalable approaches that can analyze extensive qualitative datasets while preserving the depth and nuance inherent in the study of consciousness on a broader scale.Objective: This study aimed to leverage ChatGPT, renowned for its descriptive generation proficiency, to perform a phenomenological analysis. Methodology: Our research followed four key stages: 1) Preparation of Phenomenological Data, where transcriptions were refined to align with the research question; 2) Individual Analysis, where ChatGPT highlighted experiential nuances from each participant; 3) Global Analysis, synthesizing insights from individual narratives temporally and transversally; and 4) Structure of the Experience, which synthesized the elemental components of shared experiences. Custom prompts, tailored for each stage, ensured alignment and precision in capturing the experience dimensions.Results: ChatGPT showcased a sophisticated processing capability of human experiences, effectively organizing themes that reflect the intensity of sensations and variations in empathetic encounters. The tool's proficiency in thematic organization provided a phenomenologically-grounded processing of data, highlighting how individuals engage with and are affected by stimuli. Discussion: Our findings highlight ChatGPT's potential in consciousness studies, transforming raw input into detailed phenomenological accounts.ChatGPT combines precision with scalability, making it a compelling tool for researchers exploring the intricacies of human experiences. Further research is essential to better understandr AI's capacity in phenomenological analysis and to strengthen the methodological framework, ensuring it effectively captures the nuances and depth of phenomenological inquiry.
Keywords: mixed-methods studies, ChatGPT-assisted phenomenological analysis, Phenomenology, neurophenomenology, Artificial Intellegence, ChatGPT, Experimental phenomenology
Received: 30 Oct 2024; Accepted: 29 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Martínez-Pernía, Troncoso, Chaigneau, Marchant, Zepeda and Blanco-Madariaga. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: David Martínez-Pernía, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN) School of Psychology, Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, Chile
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