1. Consciousness & Causality Revision Lecture

2. Questions (open or closed?) Is there good evidence for learning while sleeping? Describe and discuss dualist and monist positions on the mind-brain problem. Critically evaluate the empirical evidence and methodological approaches that support the claim that dreams are meaningful Describe and discuss theory and evidence concerning the dissociationist view of hypnosis

3. Answering Essay Questions I Is there good evidence for learning while sleeping? Is the question open-ended or closed? If it is open-ended you will need to narrow it down. Explain how and why you have decided to limit it in the introduction to your essay, so the reader knows you appreciate the wider issues, but that you can also be selective. If it is a closed question, your answer must refer to and stay within the limits of the question

4. Answering Essay Questions II Is there good evidence for learning while sleeping? What is the question asking from you? Underlining key words – This is a good start point for making sure you understand all the terms (some might need defining); identifying the crucial information in the question; Then clarify what the question is asking you to do (compare & contrast, analyse, discuss). Make sure you then consider the question as a whole again, not just as a series of unconnected words.

5. Answering Essay Questions III Re-read the question – Read the question through a few times. Explain it to yourself, so you are sure you know what it is asking you to do. – YOU MUST DO THIS – – Poor marks are often the result of students failing to read and understand the essay question and what it is asking them to do – Last year, for one of the essay questions, ALL students that answered it didn’t read it properly, and of the 50 students that answered it, NO ONE got higher than a 48 for it.

6. Writing I “According to Dienes and Fahey (2004) unconscious thought processes usually imply two things, that information processing is occurring without deliberate attention (Deny & Martin, 2002).” -what is wrong with this sentence?

7. Writing I According to Dienes and Fahey (2004) unconscious thought processes usually imply two things, that information processing is occurring without deliberate attention and that actions can be controlled by non-deliberate processes (Deny & Martin, 2002). For example….

8. Writing II “Based on the concept of ‘Cognito ergo sum’, it would be assumed that the mind is constructed into a dualist fashion. That is to say, that there is a physical and non-physical component to the mind, and that they are reducible to the same thing.” -what is wrong with this sentence?

9. Writing II “Based on the concept of ‘Cognito ergo sum’, it would be assumed that the mind is constructed into a dualist fashion. That is to say, that there is a physical and non-physical component to the mind, and that they are irreducible, and therefore separate entities.”

10. Writing III “However although dual theories of decision- making suggest that our biases have an unconscious basis, and that we can override them through conscious deliberate thought, the theories suggest that conscious and unconscious processes do not interact. Stanovich and West (1998) have shown that IQ predicts analytical thinking.” what is wrong with this sentence?

11. Writing III “Dual theories of decision-making propose that our biases have an unconscious basis, and that we can override them through conscious deliberate thought. This has implications for how the two processes interact. Some dual process theorists suggest that conscious and unconscious processes do not interact, whereas others suggest that they do. In support of the former, Stanovich and West (1998) has shown that IQ predicts analytical thinking only, and that biased heuristic thinking cannot be predicted by IQ therefore suggesting that they operate separately.”

12. Writing - Summary 1. Complete your sentences. 2. Check that your sentences are internally consistent. 3. Make sure that there is a logical transition from one point to the next. Read over your sentences to make sure that you avoid errors (e.g., incomplete, inconsistent, illogical sentences)

13. Making a point How do I structure a paragraph? A paragraph should contain: Lead sentence – this tells the reader what the paragraph is going to be about. Middle section – here sentences expand on the ideas in the lead sentence. This section may add to the initial idea in any of the following ways: it can refine the idea mentioned, it can give examples that back up the idea, it may present dates, data or statistics, interpret theories or it could examine the opposing idea. [N.B. This list is not exhaustive – just remember that this section is where you need to support, in some detail, the idea in the lead sentence.] Concluding sentence - sums up the main part of the argument in that paragraph. Having written this, you should feel that everything to do with this part of the argument has been concluded, and there should be correlation between the idea in the first line and the summing up in the last sentence.

14. Critically evaluating What does it mean to critically evaluate? Give your verdict as to what extent a statement or findings within a piece of research are valid, or to what extent you agree with them. Provide evidence taken from a wide range of sources which both agree with and also challenge an argument. Come to a final conclusion, basing your decision on what you judge to be the most important factors and justify how you have made your choice.

15. Discussing What does it mean to discuss? Essentially this is a written debate where you are using your skill at reasoning. Your reasoning skills need to be backed up by carefully selected evidence to make a case for and against an argument, or point out the advantages and disadvantages of a given context. Remember to arrive at a conclusion.

16. Compare & Contrast/Contrast What does compare and contrast mean? Identify the similarities and differences between two or more phenomena. Say if any of the shared similarities or differences are more important than others. Draw a conclusion by then considering overall what the implications of the similarities and differences are with respect to the topic of the essay. What does contrast mean? Similar to compare but concentrate on the dissimilarities between two or more phenomena, or what sets them apart. Point out any differences which are particularly significant.

17. Examine What does it mean to examine? Look in close detail and establish the key facts and important issues surrounding a topic. This should be a critical evaluation and you should try and offer reasons as to why the facts and issues you have identified are the most important, as well as explain the different ways they could be construed.

18. Drawing Conclusions I Do not end with “Given the various challenges, and mixed evidence, it is clear that more research is needed to advance our understanding of issue X…” Do not end with “Clearly, given the importance of the issue, there are strong implications for society in general.”

19. Drawing Conclusions II What is the point of a conclusion? Briefly RE-STATE what you covered in the essay INTEGRATE the key points you made in the essay MAKE AN INFERENCE – draw together the points you made to make a final point CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS – either within the research field you are focusing on in the essay, or beyond the research field to other related areas, or beyond academia – i.e. society in general.