Consciousness - Psychology

What does 'state of consciousness' mean?

'State of consciousness' refers to the level of awareness of an individual's internal state and external surroundings, that determines how much of the information they can take in and respond too.

The Glasgow coma scale is applied by observing three types of activity, name them.

-Eye opening -Verbal responses -Motor responses

What is one activity that requires you to be highly focused?

Taking a psychology exam.

What is the Glasgow coma scale used for?

The Glasgow coma scale is the most commonly used device for measuring the degree of decrease in observable responsiveness to external stimuli.

What is the clinical definition of a coma?

The clinical definition of a coma is the absence of eye opening, a failure to obey commands and a failure to give any comprehensible verbal response.

What is one activity that requires you to be in normal waking consciousness?

Watching T.V.

How is consciousness changing?

Consciousness is also always changing (along the continuum) with new information continually coming into awareness. There are times when our internal thoughts dominate our consciousness and when our external environment dominates our consciousness.

How is consciousness personal?

Consciousness is said to be personal due to it being a subjective understanding of both our unique internal world and our external environment.

How is consciousness selective?

Consciousness is selective because we have the ability to voluntarily shift our attention from one thing to another e.g. what you're doing now - what you had for breakfast yesterday.

What is consciousness?

Consciousness is the awareness of objects and events from the external world and of our own existence and mental processes at any given time. Conscious experience is commonly described as being personal, selective, continuous and changing.

How is consciousness continuous?

It is continuous as it is not possible for an individual's consciousness to be empty. Consciousness can be thought of as a continuum, we are always at a state that is located within the continuum.

How is 'states of consciousness' difference to the term 'consciousness'?

State of consciousness is different to the term 'consciousness' because consciousness means the awareness of internal thoughts and external surroundings whereas 'state of consciousness' is the level of how aware we are of those internal thoughts and external surroundings.