Features Of States Of Consciousness

Question 1

Awareness

Answer 1

Awareness relates to how conscious or aware you are of internal and/or external events. A number of levels of awareness exist during normal waking consciousness, from having little awareness of internal and external events to being tuned in to specific ones.

Question 2

Automatic process

Answer 2

A task that involves little or no conscious awareness or mental effort and doesn’t interfere with other automatic or controlled processes. Attention can be divided more easily. An example includes texting on a mobile phone. Automatic processes enable us to have divided attention – if a task requires little mental effort and attention, we can often engage in other tasks at the same time.

Question 3

Controlled process

Answer 3

A task that involves a high level of conscious awareness or mental effort to focus attention on the required task. Controlled processes require selective attention – a person must actively focus
attention in order to successfully complete the task. A person sending a text message for the first time is unlikely to be able to listen to an important announcement simultaneously.

Question 4

Content limitations

Answer 4

The amount of control an individual has over the information allowed into consciousness.

Question 5

Emotional awareness

Answer 5

An individual’s perception and understanding of feelings within themselves and others. Involves the experience of emotions and feelings.

Question 6

Divided attention

Answer 6

The ability to focus on two or more stimuli simultaneously. Tasks completed using divided attention are likely to be automatic processes.

Question 7

Focused attention

Answer 7

The ability to respond to one stimuli while ignoring others that is often used to complete controlled processes. Also known as
selective attention.

Question 8

Level of awareness

Answer 8

The amount of awareness that an inidividual has of internal and external events.

Question 9

Selective attention

Answer 9

An individual’s ability to focus their attention on a particular event to the exclusion of others. Also known as focused attention.

Question 10

Perceptual and cognitive distortions

Answer 10

The degree of awareness, and accuracy of sensations, perceptions and thought processes such as memory.

Question 11

Time orientation

Answer 11

your ability to correctly perceive the speed at which time passes

Question 12

Self control

Answer 12

The ability to maintain self-control, usually in terms of monitoring behaviours. Involves an individual’s ability to monitor and take control of their own behaviour.

Question 13

NWC Content limitations

Answer 13

More constrained and controlled. Can selectively process different parts of what is in consciousness

Question 14

ASC CONTENT LIMITATIONS

Answer 14

May be more or less than in normal waking consciousness. Usually less constrained or controlled, with reduced ability to process information but fewer limitations on content.

Question 15

NWC PERCEPTUAL AND COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS

Answer 15

Perceptions (including of pain) are realistic and normal. Effective control of the memory processes of storage and retrieval. Thought processes organised and logical.

Question 16

ASC PERCEPTUAL AND COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS

Answer 16

Perception (including pain) may be altered. Memory processes may be disrupted or distorted: storage and recall may be more fragmented or less accurate. Thought processes disorganised and less logical.

Question 17

NWC emotional awareness

Answer 17

Greater awareness of emotions and control of emotional awareness. We can usually monitor our emotions and even hide our true feelings from others.

Question 18

ASC emotional awareness

Answer 18

Less (although sometimes more) control of emotions, e.g. more or less affectionate, aggressive, anxious. Emotions can be heightened, dulled, or inappropriate.

Question 19

NWC self control

Answer 19

More control over actions and movements, e.g. you are able to make yourself walk in a straight line. Consciousness allows us to direct our thinking and monitor our impulses and behaviours.

Question 20

ASC SELF CONTROL

Answer 20

Usually less control over actions and movements, e.g. not able to make yourself walk in a straight line. Less control over emotions and thoughts but greater susceptibility to suggestion may increase self-control.

Question 21

NWC TIME ORIENTATION

Answer 21

Clear sense of time, e.g. the passage of time, including past, present and future. We understand where we are in time (night or day, year and hour) and are able to focus on the past, present and future.

Question 22

ASC time orientation

Answer 22

Distorted sense of time, e.g. time may appear to speed up or slow down. Time tends to be experienced at a different speed when in an altered state of consciousness.

Question 23

Attention

Answer 23

Stimuli that are being actively processed.

Question 24

Selective attention

Answer 24

Involves selectively attending to certain stimuli while ignoring other stimuli.

Question 25

Divided attention

Answer 25

The ability to distribute ones attention and undertake two or more activities at once. E.g. Mobile phone and driving.

Question 26

Features of attention

Answer 26

Change blindness
Change inattention
Selective attention
Divided attention

Question 27

Change blindness

Answer 27

Failure to notice a large change that takes place in full view in a visual scene. Often caused by brief disruption in vision.

Question 28

Change inattention

Answer 28

Failure to notice events or objects without a visual disruption.

Question 29

7 different characteristics of consciousness

Answer 29

Level of awareness
Contention limitations 
Perceptual and cognitive disorders 
Controlled and automatic processes 
Time orientation 
Self control 
Emotional awareness

Question 29

NWC level of awareness

Answer 29

Awake and generally aware of internal and external events. A good sense of place, time and reality

Question 29

ASC level of awareness

Answer 29

May be increased or decreased compared to normal waking consciousness. Most often, level of awareness is lowered during an altered state but can be increased when a person experiences heightened awareness

Question 30

Controlled and automatic processes NWC

Answer 30

Able to perform controlled and automatic processes within normal limits. Attention is focused or highly selective and can be divided between tasks

Question 32

Controlled and automatic processes ASC

Answer 32

Usually less (although sometimes more) able to perform controlled processes and automatic processes. Usually less control over attention, which may be highly selective but less able to be divided between tasks

Question 33

4 ASC physiological features

Answer 33

Decrease/increase in heart rate
Decrease/increase in muscle tension
Slower/faster, deeper/lighter breathing.
Sweating decreases/increases