5.2 - The Nature of Consciousness Flashcards
What are the four basic properties of Consciousness?
- Intentionality
- Unity
- Selectivity
- Transcience
Define “Intentionality”:
Being directed towards an object
Define “Unity”
Resistance to division, or the ability to integrate Information from all of the body’s senses into one coherent whole
Define “Selectivity”
Capacity to include some objects, but not others.
See: Dichotic listening + Cocktail Party phenomenon
Define “Transcience”
Has a tendency to change from paying attention to daydreaming
What is Dichotic Listening?
A task in which people wearing headphones hear different messages presented to each ear
What is the Cocktail Party Phenomenon?
A phenomenon in which people tune in one message even while they filter out others nearby
What are the three levels of Consciousness?
Minimal
Full
Self
Define “Minimal Consciousness”:
Low-level kind of sensory awareness and responsiveness that occurs when the mind inputs sensations and may output behaviours
Define “Full Consciousness”:
Consciousness in which you know and are able to report your mental state
Define “Self-Consciousness”
Distinct level of consciousness in which the person’s attention is drawn to the self as an object
ex: Recognition of self in mirrors by humans and some animals
What is the Gallup experiment?
Chimps get a red dot painted on their forehead, and they recognize it in the mirror and try to wipe it off.
It reveals that they’re capable of recognizing themselves
What are the Four Disorders of Consciousness?
Coma
Vegetative state
Minimally Conscious State
Locked-in Syndrome
What is Mental Control?
An attempt to change conscious states of mind
What’s an “Ironic process of mental control”?
Mental processes that can produce ironic errors because monitoring for errors can itself produce them
What is Thought Suppression?
Conscious advance of a thought
What is the “Rebound effect of Thought Suppression”?
Tendency of a thought to return to consciousness with greater frequency following suppression
“Don’t think about flying elephants”….. what are you thinking about?
Define “Dynamic Unconscious”:
Active system encompassing a lifetime of hidden memories, the person’s deepest instincts and desires, and the person’s inner struggle to control these forces; described by Freud
What is Repression?
Mental process which removes unacceptable thoughts and memories from consciousness and keeps them in the unconscious
What’s an example of minimal consciousness??
This kind of sensory awareness and responsiveness could even happen when someone pokes you while you’re asleep and you turn over
What’s an example of Full Consciousness?
When you have a hurt leg and mindlessly rub it, for instance, your pain may be Minimally Conscious. After all, you seem to be experiencing pain because you have acted and are indeed rubbing your leg. It is only when you realize that it hurts, though, that you become FULLY CONSCIOUS of the pain.
Full consciousness involves not only thinking about things but also thinking about the fact that you are thinking about things
What’s an example of Self-Consciousness?
Most people report experiencing such self-consciousness when they are embarrassed; when they find themselves the focus of attention in a group; when someone focuses a camera on them; or when they are deeply introspective about their thoughts, feelings, or personal qualities.
