1. mind and consciousness
Interactive lecture Iv
Dr Jolanta Babiak
Winter semester 2017/2018

2. What does it mean to be conscious?
Is it a general state of mind?
Is consciousness an awareness?
Consciousness: a state of awareness of internal events and the external environment
All the brain activity upon which attention is focused: perception, thoughts, feelings, images and desires at a given moment
All the experiences one is consciously aware of at particular time
A sense of self – comes out of the experiences of watching oneself from the insider position

3. What is conscious at this moment?
Non-conscious processes: e.g. breathing, regulation of blood pressure; may be made conscious e.g. control over breathing
Preconscious memories: e.g. last class; memories accessible to consciousness
Unattended information: e.g. background noises (traffic hum, clock ticking, fly buzzing); vast amount of stimulation in the environment, but our focus is on small part of it
Unconscious information: not readily accessible to conscious awareness

4. Studying the contents of consciousness
Practice of introspection: think-aloud protocols: documentation of mental strategies and representation of knowledge that individuals employ to do the task
Experience sampling method: providing reports of feelings and thoughts

5. The functions of consciousness
Helping humans to survive that is making sense of environmental information and planning the most adequate response
Usually we are faced with sensory-information overload – consciousness helps to adapt to the environment by making sense of this confusion:
Restrictive function
Selective storage: commitment to memory
Planning function: stop, think and consider alternatives: calling on knowledge of the past and expectations of the future to influence current decisions

6. Construction of reality
No two people interpret the situation in the same way
Personal construction of reality is based on our knowledge, memories, current needs, values, beliefs and future goals
Cultural constructions of reality

7. Alterations in consciousness
Sleep and dreams
Sleep disorders: insomnia, subjective insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnoea, somnambulism (sleep walking)
Hypnosis
Meditation
Mind altering drugs

8. Assigned reading
Gerrig, R. J. (2012). Psychology and Life, New Jersey, Pearson Education, Inc. – chapter 5
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