Unit 3/Part 2: Consciousness

Question 1

What is consciousness?

Answer 1

The awareness of our own thoughts, feelings and perceptions (internal events) and our surroundings (external stimuli) at any given moment. It creates our reality and is central to our sense of self.

Question 2

What are the 5 characteristics of consciousness according to William James?

Answer 2

• is continuous: it’s never empty, thoughts aren’t isolated and can flow easily from one topic to another with interruption.
• is ever changing: it rarely travels along one line of thought and constantly changes as we become aware of new info.
• is a highly personal experience: it relies on our own thoughts, feelings and perceptions.
• is selective: we can usually choose to focus on some things and ignore others; we can focus on internal events (thoughts, feelings and perceptions) and/or external surroundings.
• is active: consciousness has a purpose to allow us to function in our world.

Question 3

What is considered to be an altered state of consciousness?

Answer 3

• sleep
• daydreaming
• meditation
• influence of drugs
• hypnosis

Question 4

What is normal waking consciousness?

Answer 4

The states of consciousness you can experience when you are awake and aware of your thoughts, feelings and perceptions from internal events and the surrounding environment. During NWC you experience a real sense of time and place. Your experience during NWC creates your reality and provides a baseline from which to judge all other states of consciousness.

Question 5

What are levels of awareness?

Answer 5

A number of levels of awareness exist during NWC. It’s not unusual to swap ‘consciousness’ with the term ‘awareness’ since they’re linked together. Various levels of awareness can be viewed as a continuum of awareness. NWC occupies the middle part of the continuum, whereas ASC occupy the sections below and beneath NWC.

Question 6

What are some examples of NWC?

Answer 6

• sitting an exam
• talking to a friend
• listening carefully to a manager

Question 7

What is an altered state of consciousness?

Answer 7

Any state of consciousness that deviates from NWC, in terms of marked differences in the level of awareness, perceptions, memories, thinking, emotions, behaviours, and sense of time, place and self-control.

Question 8

What can cause an altered state of consciousness?

Answer 8

• learnt technique of meditation
• psychological drugs (including alcohol)
• fever
• psychosis (a serious condition where the sense of reality is lost)
• daydreaming
• sleep

Question 9

What does awareness relate to?

Answer 9

How conscious or aware you are of internal (within your body) and/or external (within your environment) events.

Question 10

Name an activity that requires high internal awareness and high external awareness.

Answer 10

Talking to a friend and meditation (high internal) and driving (high internal)

Question 11

What are content limitations?

Answer 11

Due to thoughts being more logical and organised during NWC and attention being more focused, the content (type of info) of NWC is more restricted than the content of ASC. Our thoughts tend to not be as cognitive, bizarre, unrealistic or impossible compared to our thoughts during an ASC.

Question 12

Name an activity that requires restricted content limitations and an activity that requires low content limitations.

Answer 12

Reading a book (restricted) and dreaming and physical activities (low content)

Question 13

Give examples for stimuli that attract our attention.

Answer 13

• novel stimuli (such as something new or unusual)
• changes in stimulation (such as the volume on a radio suddenly increasing)
• something that’s personally meaningful to us (such as our name being mentioned across a crowded room) or important to us to attend to at the time.

Question 14

Define selective attention and provide example.

Answer 14

Focusing on one task and ignoring others. It’s usually difficult to attend to more than one event at the same time, therefore you may not notice (consciously attend to) other events at the same time. Content limitations during NWC are normally due to this. E.g. Driving a car

Question 15

Define selective inattention and provide example.

Answer 15

Diverting attention away from our consciousness can be helpful or unhelpful. Avoids attending to info that may be relevant but emotionally upsetting, e.g. Trying not to think about how nervous you are about a SAC.

Question 16

Define divided attention and provide example.

Answer 16

At the top of the consciousness continuum (higher level of awareness) a higher level of attention is required and this tends to be selective. As you move down the continuum, you become less aware and attention tends to be divided. It refers to the capacity to attend to and perform two or more activities at the same time. This is generally only possible if the tasks are performed with very little mental effort e.g. we can talk as we walk or type as we read.

Question 17

What limits does divided attention have?

Answer 17

It’s harder to perform 2 or more tasks simultaneously when they require similar mental skills and more than one is a complex (controlled) process. In summary, performance on tasks that require divided attention is usually poorer when:

• the tasks are similar
• are not well practiced
• are difficult and complex

Question 18

If tasks are similar, how is performance affected by divided attention?

Answer 18

You would need to shift attention back and forth between both tasks and it would be too difficult to do. Effort and attention would lower due to too much difficulty trying to pay attention to both.

Question 19

If tasks are difficult or complex, are we better off using selective or divided attention?

Answer 19

Selective attention because all focus can be put towards one task.

Question 20

What is the cocktail party phenomenon? What does it suggest about attention and consciousness?

Answer 20

Refers to actively processing info outside of our conscious awareness. It shows that much more info is processed in our consciousness than that to which we initially attend. Therefore, consciousness may not be limited to what you are attending to at the time.

Question 21

What are automatic processes?

Answer 21

Automatic processes are tasks that require very little awareness or mental effort to be performed well and they generally don’t interfere with other automatic or controlled processes. They become procedural memories. E.g. Texting on a mobile phone for someone that has learnt to do it with ease.

Question 22

What are controlled processes?

Answer 22

Tasks that are complex and require full attention. They require more awareness and mental effort to focus attention on the required task. This means being unable to complete another controlled process at the same time as they both require full attention and therefore will interfere with each other. Learning how to drive for example is initially a controlled process that develops into an automatic process.

Question 23

Tasks that require selective attention require which process?

Answer 23

Controlled, driving for example is always considered a controlled process because conditions are unpredictable and selective attention is needed.

Question 24

Tasks which require divided attention require which process?

Answer 24

Automatic.

Question 25

Define the term perception.

Answer 25

Process of organising sensory input and giving it meaning. During NWC, our perceptions are usually clear and rational. We can make sense of sensory input and have a real awareness of our internal state and any external stimuli.

Question 26

Define the term cognition.

Answer 26

Broad term that relates to mental activities such as thinking, problem solving, language and reasoning. During NWC, we have a sense of reality. Our thoughts are usually rational, clear and meaningful. We are capable of cognition - problem solving, analysis and reasoning.

Question 27

List 2 characteristics of emotional awareness.

Answer 27

• active during NWC: aware of our feelings and show a range of emotions that’s normal for us and appropriate for the situation.
• can usually monitor emotions and hide our true feelings from others.

Question 28

List 2 characteristics of self control

Answer 28

• maintained during NWC.

- entails planning and monitoring what we say and do.

Question 29

Define the term time orientation.

Answer 29

During NWC, we usually have a good awareness of the passage of time. Time is perceived as moving at the ‘real time’. It’s knowing and understanding the passing of time.

Question 30

What are the signs of someone not being in a normal state of consciousness?

Answer 30

• non-responsive
• abnormal behaviour e.g. Aggressive, change in self control and risk taking decisions
• hyperactive
• sleepy
• confusion
• physical changes e.g. Slower reflexes, walking clumsy, slurred speech.

Question 31

What is daydreaming?

Answer 31

Shifting attention to private thoughts, feelings and imagined scenarios. It’s considered an altered state of consciousness and tends to be visualised thoughts that are usually positive and/or pleasurable.

Question 32

List some ways that daydreaming is different from NWC.

Answer 32

• level of awareness: external awareness is decreased and internal awareness is increased.
• ability to carry out controlled processes: more difficult to perform and ability to perform 2 or more tasks is lowered.
• time orientation: is diminished and time can appear to move faster or slower.

Question 33

Why is alcohol classed as a depressant?

Answer 33

Because it slows down nervous system activity; it depresses it.

Question 34

List some ways that an alcohol-induced state is different to NWC?

Answer 34

• self control: can decrease self control in terms of regulating emotions and balance in the body e.g. While in an alcohol-induced state you are likely to be less able to walk in a straight line.
• content limitations: less restricted in terms of thoughts. Thoughts can be unrelated, obscure and/or irrational. This can be due to ability to concentrate on certain tasks being impaired. Information that enters consciousness may be broader.
• perceptual and cognitive distortions: thoughts can be distorted or nonsensical as well as perceptions and behaviours e.g. Reaction time and reflexes are slowed.
• emotional awareness: changes in emotions e.g. False sense of confidence or showing inappropriate emotion for a situation.

Question 35

Explain the difference between selective attention and divided attention.

Answer 35

Selective attention refers to focusing attention to one task or stimulus, whereas divided attention refers to splitting attention between 2 or more tasks. These tasks generally require little mental effort, however if 2 tasks are similar or difficult and complex then performance will be poorer.