BEHV1018 HUMAN BEHAVIOUR week 5 P1

Introduction to Consciousness

• Consciousness is a significant mystery of existence and is vital in the context of psychology.
• The topic intertwines philosophy and science, impacting everything we do in psychology.
• Discussion points include:
  • Definition of consciousness
  • Altered states of consciousness
  • The quest for transcendence and understanding

Definition of Consciousness

• Consciousness can refer to two main aspects:
  • A general state of being (e.g., awake, bored, excited).
  • Specific contents (e.g., awareness of surroundings, thoughts, and feelings).
• Consciousness consists of our awareness of information, including:
  • Current states (e.g., feelings, perceptions).
  • Further categorization:
  • Pre-conscious: Easily accessible memories and thoughts (e.g., to-do lists).
  • Unattended information: Background information that could enter awareness (e.g., sounds, sights of the environment).

Example - Cocktail Party Effect

• Illustrates how significant stimuli can capture our attention:
  • At a party, one can focus on a conversation but still notice their name mentioned in another conversation.

Layers of Consciousness

• Freudian Perspective on consciousness consists of several layers:
  • Current conscious states (accessible).
  • Pre-conscious thoughts (slightly below awareness).
  • Unconscious processes influencing behavior (deeper mental structures).
• Repression: Some thoughts can be kept away from conscious access, affecting awareness/action (e.g., biases).

Effects of Subliminal Information

• Subliminal stimuli can influence behavior:
  • Chevron Study (1973): Subliminal keywords increased related word usage later.
  • Colas Study (1975): Subliminal answers aided problem-solving effectiveness.
  • Xynomic Study (1980): Subliminal exposure can manifest results in very short timescales.

Contextual Influence on Judgments

• Research shows people's evaluations can vary based on context:
  • Nisbet and Wilson (1977): Job candidates rated more favorably when meeting post-evaluation.
  • Mellon et al. (2008): Visual emphasis on one food item influences later snack choices.
  • True Blood et al. (2013): Contextual factors impact basic perceptual decision-making.

Unconscious Processing and Brain Damage

• Blindsight: Condition of subjective blindness with residual abilities to accurately guess objects.
• Blindness Denial or Anton Syndrome: Individuals deny their blindness, acting as if they can see despite visual impairment.

Conclusion on Consciousness

• Consciousness represents the stable experience of being you, influenced by:
  • Brain anatomy.
  • Interactions between brain, body, and environment.
• Complexity of Consciousness:
  • Involves the filtering of information to navigate the world effectively.

Linguistic Example of Deep Structure

• Sentence "No one can stop me now" reflects underlying meaning beyond literal interpretation.
• Demonstrates the complexity in understanding consciousness, emphasizing that it is functional and vital for daily life.

Component Parts of Consciousness

• Consciousness comprised of:
  • Self-monitoring and environmental awareness.
  • Volitional Control: Level of cognitive control and attention.
• Conscious processes interact with:
  • Automatic/Controlled Processes (e.g., immediate perceptions vs. deliberate thoughts).
  • Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Processing:
  • Top-Down: Higher cognitive processes guide perception based on context/knowledge.
  • Bottom-Up: Sensory information drives perception and interpretation of stimuli.

Framework for Attentional Processes

• Two main pathways of information processing:
  • Bottom-Up: Environmental/sensory input.
  • Top-Down: Intentional cognitive control that primes understanding.

Systems Theory of Consciousness (Charles Tart's Model)

• A complex model illustrating interactions of mind-body systems with the environment:
  • Current awareness influenced by:
  • Memory, identity, skill, emotional processing, subconscious contributions.
• Two forms of information processing:
  • Exterior Reception: Information from the external world.
  • Interoception: Internal bodily and mental states.
• Outputs of processing lead to cognitive, emotional, or behavioral changes impacting the environment.

Broader Perspective on Consciousness

• Comparison with previous integrated models of psychology.
• Captures functions necessary to navigate the world through psychology branches (cognition, emotion, behavior).