PSYCH 240 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Macmillan English Dictionary For Advanced Learners, Ned Block, Qualia
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Consciousness: state or quality of awareness or of being aware of an external object or something within oneself. Struggle to understand the nature of consciousness. Whether or not it can be explained mechanically. Primary focus on understanding what it means biologically and psychologically for information to be present in consciousness. Most psych studies access consciousness by asking subjects for a verbal report of experiences. In medicine consciousness is assessed by looking at patient"s arousal and responsiveness. Seen as a continuum from full alertness to loss of movement in response to painful stimuli. Knowledge in general, intentionality, introspection (and the knowledge it generates), and phenomenal experience. Something in someone"s mind is introspectively conscious . Many fall into the trap of equating consciousness with and self-consciousness. Ned block proposed a distinction between phenomenal (p-consciousness) and access (a-consciousness) Experiences are considered independently of any impacts on behavior and are called qualia.
