Chapter 2 - States of Conciousness Flashcards
What is consciousness?
Consciousness is our awareness of our internal and external environment at any given moment in time.
Your consciousness consists of all thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions and memories that we are AWARE of at any given moment.
Define Normal Waking Consciousness
States of consciousness you experience when you are awake and aware of your thoughts, feeling and perceptions from internal events and the surrounding environment.
William James on Consciousness
James coined the phrase ‘the stream of consciousness’
5 Factors of our Consciousness Experience
Continous
Ever-Changing
Personal
Selective
Active
Attention Definition
Attention relates to the information that you are actively processing, either consciously or even outside your consciousness, as what you are consciously aware of is often also the focus of attention.
Awareness Definition
Awareness relates to how conscious or aware you are of internal and/or external events
Continuum of Awareness
Different levels of awareness can be viewed as a Continuum of Awareness, ranging from deep unconsciousness to heightened awareness.
Selective Attention
Selective Attention refers to the content limitations placed on how much we can focus at any given moment on one stimulus or event to the exclusion of others
Selective Inattention
Selective Inattention is avoiding attending to information that may be relevant but emotionally upsetting
Divided Attention
Divided Attention refers to the capacity to attend to and perform two or more activities at the same time.
What are Automatic Processes?
Automatic Processes require very little awareness or little mental effort to be performed well and they generally don’t interfere with other automatic or controlled processes. (i.e. require little attention and can allow you to do two things at once)
Automatic processes become procedural memories
What are Controlled Processes?
Controlled Processes require full awareness and mental effort to focus attention on the required task.
You are unable to complete another controlled process at the same time as both require full attention, and therefore will interfere with each other.
Controlled Process tasks are usually difficult or unfamiliar.
Attention and Processes Summary
Controlled Processes require Selective Attention
Automatic Processes enable us to have Divided Attention
What is Perception?
Perception is the process of organising sensory input and giving it meaning
What is Cognition?
Cognition is a 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 rational, clear and meaningful.
