States of Consciousness

Question 1

What is consciousness?

Answer 1

Awareness of our own thoughts, feelings and perceptions and our surroundings at any given moment.

Question 2

What does our consciousness include?

Answer 2

Memories
Beliefs
Hopes
Dreams (of our future)
Senses
(Individual to each person, but there are common aspects.)

Question 3

How is consciousness a psychological construct?

Answer 3

We believe it to exist, but we cannot measure it.

Question 4

When do we exhibit our highest level of consciousness?

Answer 4

When we are very focused on one thing

Question 5

When do we exhibit our lowest level of consciousness?

Answer 5

When we are totally unaware of our environment

Question 6

What is an altered state of consciousness?

Answer 6

It is both being unconscious and in a focused state.

- example: the effects of alcohol or drugs cause this state of consciousness/

Question 7

What is a normal state of consciousness?

Answer 7

It is our waking state, typically a mix of divided attention and day-dreaming.

Question 8

What is selective attention?

Answer 8

It is where we are totally aware and focused on what we have chosen to pay attention to.
- becoming oblivious to our surroundings and what is happening within it.

Question 9

What is habituation?

Answer 9

It is where we tend to decrease our levels of attention when a stimulus is repeated.
- Tuning out a tv show in the background if you are talking to someone.

Question 10

What is dishabituation?

Answer 10

It is where the renewal of attention occurs after a change to the stimulus.
- If there is a sudden change of noise, someone screaming or a loud explosion on the tv causes you to look up and stop what you’re doing.

Question 11

What does divided attention allow us to do?

Answer 11

Allows us to multi-task to a certain extent.

Question 12

What is day dreaming?

Answer 12

It is when we shift from focusing on external stimuli to internal events.
- Our fantasies often being a product of our sub-conscious mind.

Question 13

What is Hypnosis?

Answer 13

It is a sleep-like state.

- An artificially induced state of relaxation.

Question 14

What is meditation?

Answer 14

Includes different types of techniques that focus on the clearing of a person’s thoughts and mind. This assists in relaxing that person’s emotional and physical state.

Question 15

What is sleep?

Answer 15

It is when we are not fully conscious, or unconscious.

- Relaxed state of consciousness enables our mind and body to rest and recover.

Question 16

Who developed the phrase “Stream of Consciousness”?

Answer 16

William James (1842-1910)

Question 17

What did William James (1842 - 1910) believe?

Answer 17

That our consciousness is an always changing series of thoughts that shift from one moment to the next.

Question 18

The conscious experience for James is…?

Answer 18

Continuous
- Thoughts are not isolated but flow from one topic to another.

Ever-changing
- Is not linear, but changes as we receive new information or stimuli.

Highly personalised
- It is our own thoughts, feelings and perceptions - not those of others.

Selective
- We can focus on some things and ignore others. (Can switch between internal events and external stimuli)

Active
- The purpose of consciousness is to allow us to function in our world.

Question 19

What do different frequencies and amplitudes of brain waves indicate?

Answer 19

Indicates different states of consciousness.

Question 20

What are the FOUR brain wave patterns?

Answer 20

Alpha
- When a person is awake but in a relaxed state.

Beta
- When a person is awake, active and alert.

Theta
- When a person is in the early stages of sleep.

Delta
- When a person is in deep sleep.

Question 21

What is GSR?

Answer 21

Galvanic Skin Response
It’s the measurable electrical conductivity of skin.
- When sweating an electrical current Is more easily conducted compared to dry skin.
- Electrodes are attached to hairless parts of the body e.g. hands