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AP Psychology
5.1 – Introduction & Bodily Rhythms
Consciousness
• Consciousness
• The personal awareness of
thoughts, sensations, memories,
and the external world
• William James (remember him?)
described consciousness as “an
ever-changing stream or river
that nonetheless is perceived
as unified and unbroken”
• “Stream of consciousness”
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Consciousness
• Consciousness
• Psychologically speaking,
consciousness is NOT like an
On/Off switch
• In other words, there are
different levels and various
states of consciousness that
we may experience on a daily
basis
Consciousness
• Levels of Conscious Awareness
• Controlled Processes
• Require focused, maximum attention
• Example: Writing your answer to the
Free Response Question on the AP Exam
• Automatic Processes
• Require minimal attention
• Example: Walking down the sidewalk
while talking on the phone
• Subconscious
• Below conscious awareness
• Example: Sleeping & Dreaming
• No Awareness
• Biologically-based lowest level of
awareness
• Example: Being in a coma or under
anesthesia
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Consciousness
• Waking Rhythms
• When we are awake, we are in an active state of consciousness
• Short term memory + Attention = Waking Consciousness
• Another Waking Rhythm: Daydreaming
• Can help prepare us for future events by:
• Nourishing social behavior
• Acting as a substitute for impulsive behavior
Consciousness
• Bodily Rhythms
• Circadian Rhythms
• Biological processes that
systematically vary over a period
of about 24 hours
• More than 100 processes that peak
and dip each day
• Sleep-wake cycle, blood pressure,
secretion of various hormones,
pulse rate, etc.
• Infradian Rhythms
• Biological processes that last
longer than a 24 hour period
• Menstrual Cycle, Reproductive
processes, Seasonal rhythms, etc.
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