5.2 - The Nature of Consciousness

Question 1

What are the four basic properties of Consciousness?

Answer 1

1. Intentionality
2. Unity
3. Selectivity
4. Transcience

Question 2

Define “Intentionality”:

Answer 2

Being directed towards an object

Question 3

Define “Unity”

Answer 3

Resistance to division, or the ability to integrate Information from all of the body’s senses into one coherent whole

Question 4

Define “Selectivity”

Answer 4

Capacity to include some objects, but not others.

See: Dichotic listening + Cocktail Party phenomenon

Question 5

Define “Transcience”

Answer 5

Has a tendency to change from paying attention to daydreaming

Question 6

What is Dichotic Listening?

Answer 6

A task in which people wearing headphones hear different messages presented to each ear

Question 7

What is the Cocktail Party Phenomenon?

Answer 7

A phenomenon in which people tune in one message even while they filter out others nearby

Question 8

What are the three levels of Consciousness?

Answer 8

Minimal

Full

Self

Question 9

Define “Minimal Consciousness”:

Answer 9

Low-level kind of sensory awareness and responsiveness that occurs when the mind inputs sensations and may output behaviours

Question 10

Define “Full Consciousness”:

Answer 10

Consciousness in which you know and are able to report your mental state

Question 11

Define “Self-Consciousness”

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What is the Gallup experiment?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

What are the Four Disorders of Consciousness?

Answer 13

Coma

Vegetative state

Minimally Conscious State

Locked-in Syndrome

Question 14

What is Mental Control?

Answer 14

An attempt to change conscious states of mind

Question 15

What’s an “Ironic process of mental control”?

Answer 15

Mental processes that can produce ironic errors because monitoring for errors can itself produce them

Question 16

What is Thought Suppression?

Answer 16

Conscious advance of a thought

Question 17

What is the “Rebound effect of Thought Suppression”?

Answer 17

Tendency of a thought to return to consciousness with greater frequency following suppression

“Don’t think about flying elephants”….. what are you thinking about?

Question 18

Define “Dynamic Unconscious”:

Answer 18

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

Question 19

What is Repression?

Answer 19

Mental process which removes unacceptable thoughts and memories from consciousness and keeps them in the unconscious

Question 20

What’s an example of minimal consciousness??

Answer 20

This kind of sensory awareness and responsiveness could even happen when someone pokes you while you’re asleep and you turn over

Question 21

What’s an example of Full Consciousness?

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What’s an example of Self-Consciousness?

Answer 22

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.