Features Of States Of Consciousness Flashcards
Awareness
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.
Automatic process
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.
Controlled process
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.
Content limitations
The amount of control an individual has over the information allowed into consciousness.
Emotional awareness
An individual’s perception and understanding of feelings within themselves and others. Involves the experience of emotions and feelings.
Divided attention
The ability to focus on two or more stimuli simultaneously. Tasks completed using divided attention are likely to be automatic processes.
Focused attention
The ability to respond to one stimuli while ignoring others that is often used to complete controlled processes. Also known as
selective attention.
Level of awareness
The amount of awareness that an inidividual has of internal and external events.
Selective attention
An individual’s ability to focus their attention on a particular event to the exclusion of others. Also known as focused attention.
Perceptual and cognitive distortions
The degree of awareness, and accuracy of sensations, perceptions and thought processes such as memory.
Time orientation
your ability to correctly perceive the speed at which time passes
Self control
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.
NWC Content limitations
More constrained and controlled. Can selectively process different parts of what is in consciousness
ASC CONTENT LIMITATIONS
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.
NWC PERCEPTUAL AND COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS
Perceptions (including of pain) are realistic and normal. Effective control of the memory processes of storage and retrieval. Thought processes organised and logical.
ASC PERCEPTUAL AND COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS
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.
NWC emotional awareness
Greater awareness of emotions and control of emotional awareness. We can usually monitor our emotions and even hide our true feelings from others.
ASC emotional awareness
Less (although sometimes more) control of emotions, e.g. more or less affectionate, aggressive, anxious. Emotions can be heightened, dulled, or inappropriate.
NWC self control
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.
ASC SELF CONTROL
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.
NWC TIME ORIENTATION
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.
ASC time orientation
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.
Attention
Stimuli that are being actively processed.
Selective attention
Involves selectively attending to certain stimuli while ignoring other stimuli.
Divided attention
The ability to distribute ones attention and undertake two or more activities at once. E.g. Mobile phone and driving.
Features of attention
Change blindness
Change inattention
Selective attention
Divided attention
Change blindness
Failure to notice a large change that takes place in full view in a visual scene. Often caused by brief disruption in vision.
Change inattention
Failure to notice events or objects without a visual disruption.
7 different characteristics of consciousness
Level of awareness Contention limitations Perceptual and cognitive disorders Controlled and automatic processes Time orientation Self control Emotional awareness
NWC level of awareness
Awake and generally aware of internal and external events. A good sense of place, time and reality
ASC level of awareness
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
Controlled and automatic processes NWC
Able to perform controlled and automatic processes within normal limits. Attention is focused or highly selective and can be divided between tasks
Controlled and automatic processes ASC
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
4 ASC physiological features
Decrease/increase in heart rate
Decrease/increase in muscle tension
Slower/faster, deeper/lighter breathing.
Sweating decreases/increases
