INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY 2 lecture 1.3
CONSCIOUSNESS
Consciousness can be defined as the subjective experience of the world and the mind. Our experiences
are subjective and we refer to subjective experiences as qualia.
Philosophical problem of “other minds”:
If I can only observe the behaviour of others, how can I know that others have minds?
David Chalmers: The hard problem of consciousness:
The really hard problem of consciousness is the problem of experience. When we think and perceive there
is a whir of information processing, but there is also a subjective aspect. Why and how do we have these
subjective experiences?
Consciousness has two dimensions: wakefulness and awareness. Often these two things go hand in hand.
Somewhere in between being awake and aware lies some states in which we are not very awake or not
very aware, for example a deep sleep.
Nature of consciousness - levels
Minimal consciousness
● sensory awareness
Full consciousness
● you know and can report your mental state
Self-consciousness
● mirror image
● you recognize a “self” that is you and refer to “I”
Nature of consciousness - contents
Our immediate environment
● what we see, feel, here, taste and smell
Our current thoughts
● concerns and daydreams
CONSCIOUSNESS
Consciousness can be defined as the subjective experience of the world and the mind. Our experiences
are subjective and we refer to subjective experiences as qualia.
Philosophical problem of “other minds”:
If I can only observe the behaviour of others, how can I know that others have minds?
David Chalmers: The hard problem of consciousness:
The really hard problem of consciousness is the problem of experience. When we think and perceive there
is a whir of information processing, but there is also a subjective aspect. Why and how do we have these
subjective experiences?
Consciousness has two dimensions: wakefulness and awareness. Often these two things go hand in hand.
Somewhere in between being awake and aware lies some states in which we are not very awake or not
very aware, for example a deep sleep.
Nature of consciousness - levels
Minimal consciousness
● sensory awareness
Full consciousness
● you know and can report your mental state
Self-consciousness
● mirror image
● you recognize a “self” that is you and refer to “I”
Nature of consciousness - contents
Our immediate environment
● what we see, feel, here, taste and smell
Our current thoughts
● concerns and daydreams
