Nature of consciousness Flashcards
Normal waking consciousness
State of consciousness associated with being awake and aware of objects and events in the external world, and of one’s sensations, mental experiences and own existence.
Altered state of consciousness
A condition of awareness that is distinctly different from normal waking consciousness in terms of level of awareness and experience.
Naturally occurring state of consciousness
- examples
A state that occurs naturally in the course of our everyday activities without the need for any aid.
- daydreaming
- dreaming
- sleeping
Induced state of consciousness
- examples
A state that is intentionally achieved by some kind of aid, such as medication or substance abuse.
- Hypnosis
- Anaesthetised
Attention
Focusing on specific stimuli while ignoring and therefore excluding other stimuli.
Selective attention
Choosing and attending to a specific stimulus while excluding others.
Divided attention
Distributing attention and undertaking 2 or more activities simultaneously.
EEG
Detects, amplifies and records general patterns of electrical activity in the brain (measures brain waves).
EMG
Detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of muscles.
EOG
Detects, amplifies and records electrical activity in eye muscles that control eye movements.
Limitation of EEG
Doesn’t provide information about which structures of the brain are activated and what their specific functions may be.
Types of brain waves
Beta
Alpha
Theta
Delta
Beta brain waves
- examples
Associated with being very alert and actively processing information.
- most active during mental and physical activity in NWC and dreaming in REM sleep.
- worried about being late
- learning maths formula for first time
- playing a video game
Alpha brain waves
- examples
Most active during awake, mentally and physically relaxed state and not actively processing information.
- resting with eyes closed
Theta brain waves
- examples
Associated with drowsiness, such as when falling asleep or waking up.
- having just fallen asleep or waken up
- working on a highly creative task
- deeply meditating
- struggling to keep eyes open
- feeling elated on learning about an excellent exam result
Delta brain waves
- examples
Associated with no alertness, most active during deep sleep (non-dreaming) or while unconscious
- Anaesthetised
- Making a reflexive response to painful stimuli when in a coma.
Types of methods used to study consciousness
- EEG, EMG, EOG
- Speed and accuracy on cognitive tasks
- Sleep diaries
- Video monitoring
Speed and accuracy (objective)
Reaction time to a stimulus, and the number of correct and incorrect responses made by the individual.
Sleep diaries (subjective)
A self-reported record of an individual’s sleep and waking time activities.
Video monitoring
One or more cameras used to record externally observable physiological responses throughout a sleep episode, including behaviours when falling asleep and when waking.
Changes in psychological state due to levels of awareness
- content limitations
- controlled and automatic processes
- perceptual and cognitive distortions
- emotional awareness
- self-control
- time orientation
Controlled process definition
Automatic process definition
Controlled process - Processing information with conscious, alert awareness and mental effort for goal attainment.
Automatic process definition - Processing information with little conscious awareness and mental effort for goal attainment.
Content limitations
- NWC
- ASC
NWC - Content is limited in type and amount, we can block unwanted information from entering consciousness
ASC - Content is fairly unlimited due to lack of control.
Controlled processes
- NWC
- ASC
NWC - Controlled processes tend to be easier to achieve.
ASC - Controlled processes tend to be harder to achieve as ASC has low levels of awareness.
Automatic processes
- NWC
- ASC
NWC - Automatic processes are relatively easy to achieve.
ASC - Automatic processes may be harder to achieve.
Perceptual distortions (physical perceptions)
- NWC
- ASC
NWC - sensations reflect reality and perception is clear.
ASC - perceptions can be dulled and heightened.
Cognitive distortions (thinking, reasoning and memory)
- NWC
- ASC
NWC - Capable of logical thinking and effective memory functioning.
ASC - Cognitive distortions may occur and memory may be impaired.
Emotional awareness
- NWC
- ASC
NWC - Show normal range of appropriate emotions
ASC - Emotional responses tend to be inappropriate, heightened or dulled.
Self-control
- NWC
- ASC
NWC - Conscious ability to take control of our own behaviour
ASC - Loss of self-control
Time orientation
- NWC
- ASC
NWC - perception of time is accurate (1 hour feels like 1 hour)
ASC - Time could be perceived as moving quicker or slower.
0.05 BAC
Equivalent to 17 hours without sleep
0.10 BAC
Equivalent to 24 hours without sleep
