Structural Transformation and Value Emergence: A Perceptual Causal Model Using Salmon as an Example

This paper proposes a causal model in which perceived value emerges through structural transformation rather than changes in material, evaluator, or sensory ability. Using salmon as an illustrative example, it argues that decomposition and reconfiguration (e.g., converting a salmon fillet into flakes) suppress perceptual noise and foreground value dimensions such as umami.The work rejects explanations based on taste development, preference learning, or contextual effects, and instead locates causality in the interaction between structure and perception.By prioritizing originality, internal consistency, and explicit causal reasoning over peer-review conformity, this paper advocates a shift from material essentialism to structural causalism, with implications for food, information processing, research methodology, and design.