Nature of consciousness Flashcards
Define consciousness.
The awareness of our internal and external environments, thoughts and sensations.
Define states of consciousness.
An individuals level of awareness of internal/ external stimuli at any given moment.
Define psychological construct.
A concept used to describe something that is believed to exist because we measure its effects but we cannot directly observe it.
Define the continuum of consciousness.
The tool we use to identify varying states of consciousness. Ranging from total awareness to complete lack of awareness.
Define normal waking consciousness.
(NWC) A state of consciousness characterised by a clear and organised alertness to internal and external stimuli.
Define altered states of consciousness.
(ASC) A state of consciousness different from NWC in terms of awareness, sensation or perception. Characterised by lower levels of awareness, distorted perception of reality, etc.
Define naturally occurring ASC’s.
Any ASC produced spontaneously or without conscious effort. Including sleep, daydreaming, psychosis, etc.
Define induced ASC’s.
Any ASC intentionally produced. Most commonly through the effects of drugs or alcohol.
Outline and define the two types of processes.
Controlled processes. Actions that require a high level of conscious awareness, attention and mental effort. They require individuals to be in NWC.
Automatic processes. Actions that require little conscious effort and do not interfere with our performance of other activities. Does not require individuals to be in NWC.
Define divided attention.
When an individual focuses on two or more stimulus at one time or performs two or more tasks at one time.
Define selective inattention.
The way we attend/ do not attend information that is relevant, but emotionally upsetting.
Define content limitations.
Processes that control the content of our thoughts. Stopping unrelated from entering our thought process.
Define perceptual distortions.
Mistakes made when internally processing the external environment.
Define cognitive distortions.
Mistakes we make in our cognitive functions like memory.
