Characteristics of Consciousness

Question 1

Define: awareness

Answer 1

How conscious we are of our internal and external environment (see continuum of awareness)

Question 2

How is awareness measured?

Answer 2

By attention

Question 3

Define: attention

Answer 3

A concentration of mental activity involving focusing on specific (internal or external) stimuli while ignoring others.

Question 4

Can attention shift both intentionally or unintentionally?

Answer 4

Yes

Question 5

What are the 2 types of attention?

Answer 5

Selective and divided attention

Question 6

Define: selective attention

Answer 6

Choosing to focus on a specific stimulus whilst ignoring others.
**Focusing on one task at the exclusion of others

Question 7

Under what circumstances is attention most likely to be selective?

Answer 7

If stimulus is new, changing, difficult or personally important.

Question 8

Explain why we can still process parts of stimulus that we don’t selectively attend to

Answer 8

There is a “focus” and a “background” when we selectively attend to things, we may process part of the background.

Question 9

Define: divided attention

Answer 9

The ability to distribute awareness between two or more tasks simultaneously.
**Focusing on multiple tasks simultaneously

Question 10

Under what circumstances is attention more likely to be divided?

Answer 10

Lower effort, less complex and more experienced.

Question 11

Is content limited in selective attention?

Answer 11

Yes.

Question 12

Define: content limitations

Answer 12

The extent to which a person can control what they attend to

Question 13

Define: controlled process

Answer 13

Tasks requiring high levels of conscious awareness and mental awareness to complete

Question 14

What type of attention is most likely to be used in controlled processes?

Answer 14

Selective

Question 15

Define: automatic process

Answer 15

tasks requiring minimal conscious awareness and mental effort to complete.

Question 16

Does automatic processes usually require selective attention?

Answer 16

No

Question 17

What are 3 differences between controlled and automatic processes?

Answer 17

Controlled processes are usually serial (one activity at a time) and automatic are parallel (more than one activity at a time)
Controlled processes occur when the task is new or difficult, unlike automatic processes
Controlled processes are usually slow but may become automatic processes with practise.

Question 18

Briefly describe the stroop effect

Answer 18

Names of colours and their actual colours were mismatched.

Question 19

Define: perceptual distortion

Answer 19

Changes in what a person notices, based on their senses. (perception=senses)

Question 20

Define: cognitive distortion

Answer 20

Impairment of mental processes and memory

Question 21

Define: time orientation

Answer 21

The ability to estimate the passage of time.

Question 22

Define: self-control

Answer 22

The ability to control (monitor) emotions and behaviours.

Question 23

What are the characterstics to describe NWC?

Answer 23

Awareness
Attention
Content limitations
Controlled and automatic processes

Question 24

What are the characteristcs used to describe ASCs?

Answer 24

Perceptual and cognitive disortions
Time orientation
Self control
Emotional awareness