TOWARD A SCIENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2013
The Consciousness Quotient: introducing the
consciousness experience as a research variable
in psychological assessment
Ovidiu Brazdau, Ph.D.
Consciousness experience and
psychological assessment
Can we use the data from the first person experiences of consciousness (selfreports) in psychological assessment?
The first person approach seems to provide valuable information, but
unfortunately the first person methods offer no scientific results, from the
perspective of psychological assessment, unless statistical analyses are
provided. 1
The research problems come from the methodological inability to isolate
consciousness as an individual phenomenon. Consciousness seems to be different
from all other scientific concepts, and it has been extraordinarily difficult to treat it
as a variable.2
In psychology, measuring the consciousness experience with assessment
instruments and statistical methods has been a rare topic of research, maybe because
psychologists find it difficult to create a method that would reach a satisfactory
level of significance of the results.3
Varela & Shear, 1999; Dennett, 2001
Baars, 1997
3
Natsoulas, 1990
1
2
www.Consciousness-Quotient.com
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The Consciousness Quotient & CQ-i ©
Since 2005 I have been developing the Consciousness Quotient Theory and the
CQ Inventory (CQ-i ©) as a part of my Ph.D. thesis.
This process took me eight years, while trying to ascertain a way to identify
and scientifically measure the so-called “aware/conscious behaviors”. CQ-i
was developed through 14 studies on a population of 6,800+ individuals.4
The CQ-i beta version was first released in 2008, and presented the following year
at the Toward a Science of Consciousness conference. Since then, it has been
updated many times in order to become a very reliable and valid assessment
instrument that measures consciousness as a psychological variable.
The adjusting process ended in January 2013 and the resulting CQ-i 2013 is
now available to researchers. The exploration process will last until 2014.
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Brazdau, O., Constantinescu P. M., Constantinescu, I., Butucescu, A., Sbircea, R. (2013). Consciousness
Quotient Inventory Improvement: Qualitative Study Using Cognitive Interviewing Approach. Elsevier Procedia
Social and Behavioral Sciences (in press).
Brazdau, O. & Mihai, C. (2011). The Consciousness Quotient: a new predictor of students’ academic
performance. Elsevier Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 11, 245-250.
Brazdau, O. (2011). CQ: Coeficientul de constientizare. The Consciousness Quotient (CQ) & The CQ Inventory
– Theory and Research. Bucharest: Info-Sanatate Press.
www.Consciousness-Quotient.com
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What is CQ?
I have defined the Consciousness Quotient as the level of consciousness (or the
level of being conscious) that is experienced in the morning, one hour after waking
up and after having a refreshing sleep, without being exposed to any significant
stimulus (coffee, TV, radio, music, talking, psychological stress).
In other words, the consciousness quotient is the general level of
being conscious/aware throughout a day, in regular life conditions.
Of course, this level of being conscious can change. We,
psychologists, name it personal development.
Some terminology
“Consciousness encompasses both awareness and attention. Awareness is the
background “radar” of consciousness, continually monitoring the inner and outer
environment. One may be aware of stimuli without them being at the center of
attention. Attention is a process of focusing conscious awareness, providing
heightened sensitivity to a limited range of experience (Westen, 1999). In actuality,
awareness and attention are intertwined, such that attention continually pulls
“figures” out of the “ground” of awareness, holding them focally for varying
lengths of time.” 5
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Brown K. B., Ryan R., M. (2003). The Benefits of Being Present: Mindfulness and its Role in Psychological
Well-Being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 84, No. 4, 822–848
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Pure awareness vs. Consciousness
A hypothesis based on Orch-OR theory
TSC 2013: Eastern Philosophy Meets Western Science. My tribute.
Microtubules processing vs. Neural processing
- Microtubules processing (1026) may produce the subjective experience of (pure?)
awareness, PCE, DMS, UMS, here-now experience, no ego, or ego without
boundaries, or observer as experienced by mystics and mindfulness practisioners.
- Neural processing (1016) may be the (cognitive) consciousness (Hameroff).
Consciousness appears 100-200 miliseconds after the real event
vs. (Pure) awareness in now-here, faster than the (cognitive) consciousness
How can there be a pre-reflective self, a state when attention is attending to the
attentional mechanism itself?
Pure awareness practicians (or habitulized Nirvikalpa samadhi in Yoga Sutra, Sahaj samadhi,
or Turiya, or Witnessing consciousness) say that they differentiate between being aware
(background scanner) and being conscious (when the scanner involves attention and gets
content). But during processing, so many individuals say that they experience a sense of being, a
sense of presence.
To a pure-awareness being, other looks like they are sleeping, or thinking slowly. Maybe
because the inner experience for them is to be in the flow, being global connected… When a
person goes to a christian monk, that one seems to know the bigger picture. They are in the flow
of life, without an ego to limit their view.
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The illussion of the self?
The illusion of self is now a topic for scientists all over the world.
The great illusion of the self - New Scientist, Special Issue
Your mind's greatest trick is convincing you of your own reality. Discover the
elaborate illusions involved and what they mean in our special feature
As you wake up each morning, hazy and disoriented, you gradually become
aware of the rustling of the sheets, sense their texture and squint at the light.
One aspect of your self has reassembled: the first-person observer of reality,
inhabiting a human body.
As wakefulness grows, so does your sense of having a past, a personality and
motivations. Your self is complete, as both witness of the world and bearer of
your consciousness and identity. You.
This intuitive sense of self is an effortless and fundamental human experience.
But it is nothing more than an elaborate illusion. Under scrutiny, many
common-sense beliefs about selfhood begin to unravel. Some thinkers even go
as far as claiming that there is no such thing as the self.

http://www.newscientist.com/special/self
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Insights from depth psychology
Self reports: in the morning, a person in turiya state reports that after they wake
up, there is a presence, and one can see how the mind starts, and it takes about one
hour to get full sense of the self (self-consciousness).
? Alpha1 phase synchrony (gives improved visual attention)= the level of the
cognitive consciousness
? In order to keep this for a whole day, it may be that person must use the so
called unconscious information (intuitive thinking?) - provided by the primary
processing in microtubules…
? Gamma synchrony, SMR
Insights from depth psychology:
Pure awareness
Conscious + Unconscious, ISelf
Here- Now experience, PCE, DMS
Reality
Osho
Just watch (improved visual attention
included), no content, watch + content - UMS
Time and space experienced as continuum.
Global connectedness.
From infancy. After waking up in the morning
Habitualized samadhi. Mind works naturally
So called consciousness (cognitive)
Self (ego?)
Time delayed experience
Dream-like state (see Nisargadatta)
John
Content, mind active, dissociation
Time and space experienced as distinct
phenomena. Separation
From 3 years old. One hour after waking up
Mind works following (partly) commands
from ego-self. Biased mind.
Science adjusts its views based on what’s observed…
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The Consciousness Quotient is an inferred
construct
Is consciousness a measurable variable that can be indexed by behavioral reports?
Is unconsciousness a non-reportable variable6 ? What about dreamwork
psychology?
Reportable?
Not reportable?

Baars, Bernard J., William P. Banks, and James B. Newman (eds) (2003). Essential Sources in the Scientific
Study of Consciousness. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press
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Consciousness Quotient as an inferred
composite construct
Back to the basics.
Edwin Boring. Former APA president, professor at Harvard University for 27
years (cited by Baars, 2003):
“… human consciousness is an inferred construct, a capacity as
inferential as any of the psychological realities… literally immediate
observation, the introspection that cannot lie, does not exist. All
observation is a process that takes time and is subject to error in the
course of its occurrence.” (Boring, 1933)
CQ-i v.2013 is not measuring consciousness directly, but through inference
from behaviours and applied life principles, using statistical analysis.
The inventory is evaluating the frequency of the behaviours and the usage of
life principles that are indicators for conscious awareness experiences.
Around one third of the conscious/aware behaviours described have not been
found in scientific literature, but were included in the inventory as valuable
experiential data from the eastern wisdom of consciousness (e.g., descriptions of
human chakra-related characteristics, levels of consciousness/awareness described
in Yoga Sutra by Patanjali, etc.).

Baars, Bernard J. (2003). Treating Consciousness as a Variable. The Fading Taboo. In Baars, Bernard J.,
William P. Banks, and James B. Newman (eds) (2003). Essential Sources in the Scientific Study of
Consciousness. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press
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Consciousness Quotient: personality trait
and/or ability with predictive power?
Future studies will explore this issue. My actual perspective is that CQ is both
personality trait and ability. EQ seems to leave this methodological question still
unsolved, even after extensive studies:
There are two types of EI measure: ability and trait. Ability and trait measures differ in
terms of both the definition of constructs and the methods of assessment. Ability measures
conceive of EI as a capacity that spans the border between reason and feeling.
Trait measures include a very large array of non-cognitive abilities related to success,
such as self-control... We compared one of each type of test with the other for evidence of
reliability, convergence and overlap with personality.
METHODS:
Year 1 and 2 medical students completed the Meyer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional
Intelligence Test (MSCEIT, an ability measure), the Wong and Law Emotional
Intelligence Scale (WLEIS, a trait measure) and an industry standard personality test (the
Neuroticism-Extroversion-Openness [NEO] test).
CONCLUSIONS:
Different tests that are supposed to measure EI do not measure the same thing. The
ability measure was not correlated with personality, but the trait measure was correlated
with personality.

Comparison of trait and ability measures of emotional intelligence in medical students. A study by Brannick
MT, Wahi MM, Arce M, Johnson HA, Nazian S, Goldin SB.
Med Teach. 2010 Jan;32(1):e42-8. doi: 10.3109/01421590903199668.
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Development of CQ construct and CQ-i ©
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Development of CQ construct and CQ-I (cont.)
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Development of CQ construct and CQ-I (cont.)
Acknowledgements 2003-2013
to Cornelia Guja, Matei Stircea-Craciun, Gheorghita Geana, Cristiana Glavce, Leon Zagrean,
Strephon Kaplan-Williams, Gina Gheoca, Andrei Ion, David Lukoff, Wilfried Belschner,
John Drew, Harris Friedman, John Rowan, Jonathan Shear, Bernard Baars, Grigore Nicola,
Ioan-Bradu Iamandescu, Claudiu Girniceanu, Cristian Mihai, Andreea Butucescu,
Petru-Madalin Constantinescu, Iuliana Constantinescu, Ramona Sbircea, Sofia Dumitriu, Ioana
Pielescu, Catalin Chites, Ned Block, Sona Ahuja, Aurora Szentagotai, William P. Banks,
Christopher Surridge, Cristian Vasile, Keith Fiveson, Carlo Monsanto, Sperry Andrews, Cristi
Opariuc, Cristina Mirea, Dragos Iliescu, Thomas Goddard and Gina Hayden. Acknowledgements
also go to the peer reviewers from Nature, the International Journal Consciousness and
Cognition, and the Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies that provided feedback
in 2008, and to my students and the individuals that took the test in the pre-testing stage of
development.
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Literature research - example
EMOTIONAL CQ
Life situation: Different behaviour when the individual is under the influence of an
emotion. A kind of emotional reflexivity, where the individual is aware that the
emotions he experiences are influencing his thoughts.
Item: #14 I realize immediately when I behave impulsively under some
emotional influence.
Description
Forgas (2001) argues that an imporant neglected part of emotional consciousness is
the fact that emotions influence thoughts and behavior and that we lack awareness
of a great amount of emotions. Barsade, Ramarajan si Westen (2009) point out that
although people could become conscious of their emotions, they are not conscious
regarding their source and effect upon behavior and thoughts and also the awareness
of implicit emotions could have well-being outcomes. In oriental religious practices
there is is the notion, supported by some cognitive psychology research, that
emotional awareness are thought to necessary for self-regulation and well-being
(Lopez & Pellegrini, 2011).
References
Barsade, S., Ramarajan, L., Westen, D (2009), Implicit Affect in Organizations, Research in Organizational
Behavior, 135-162
Forgas, J.P. (Ed.) (2001). Handbook of affect and social cognition. Mahwah, New Jersey: Erlbaum.
Lopez, J, Pellegrin, A., (2011) Effective Emotional Regulation: Bridging Cognitive Science and Buddhist
Perspective, Enrahonar. Quaderns de Filosofia 47, 2011 139-169
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Other scales / tests including consciousness
Relevant scales analysed during the construction of CQ-i
Self-Consciousness Scale - SCS (Fenigstein, 1975)7
Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale-MAAS (Brown şi Ryan, 2003)8
Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (Bucheld, Grossman şi Walach and co., 2001)9
Psychological Well-Being Scales (Ryff, 1995) 10
Scales focusing on awareness
e.g., Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale
Other scales from transpersonal psychology were analysed, but I did not find
anything useful with these. A review by Douglas A. Macdonald and Harris L.
Friedman is available:
Assessment of Humanistic, Transpersonal, and Spiritual
Constructs: State of the Science
doi: 10.1177/002216702237126 Journal of Humanistic Psychology Fall 2002 vol. 42 no. 4 102-125
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Fenigstein, A., Scheier, M. F., & Buss, A. H. (1975). Public and private self-consciousness: Assessment and
theory. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 43, 522-527.
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Brown, K.W. and Ryan, R.M. (2003). The benefits of being present: The role of mindfulness in psychological
well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822-848.
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Buchheld, N., Grossman, P., & Walach, H. (2001). Measuring mindfulness in insight meditation (Vipassana)
and meditation-based psychotherapy: The development of the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). Journal
for Meditation and Meditation Research, 1, 11-34.
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Ryff, C.D., & Keyes, C.L.M. (1995). The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 719-727.
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CQ-i v. 2013
The six factors of the Consciousness Quotient Inventory
1. Physical Consciousness: refers to the ability of being conscious of the body and
organism, and of the physical elements of the environment
2. Emotional Consciousness: describes the ability of being conscious of your own
emotions and feelings, and generally, to be conscious of any emotional feeling
3. Mental (Cognitive) Consciousness: refers to the ability of being conscious of
your own ideas, of the mental stream generally
4. Spiritual Consciousness: refers to the ability of being conscious about yourself
as a part of the universe, and describes the ability to be conscious of the multiple
connections with the surrounding life
5. Social – Relational Consciousness: refers to the ability of being conscious of
human relationships and the connections with the people you interact with
6. Self-Consciousness: Consciousness of Self or Self-Awareness refers to the
ability of being conscious of your own person, your own self; this factor describes
the ability of the reflexivity of the human being, of being able to look upon itself in
an objective way
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CQ-i v. 2009 vs. CQ-i v.2013
Secondary factors from CQ-i 2009, not used in CQ-i 2013
1) Internal State Awareness: refers to the ability of being conscious specifically about inner
changes. These items are part of the emotional and mental consciousness factors (three items: 9, 10,
22).
2) Self-Reflectiveness: refers to the ability of being conscious in a reflective way of you own
person. All the items contribute to the Self-Consciousness factor (five items: 53, 54, 55, 56, 57).
3) Mindfulness: refers to a way of looking at yourself and your environment in a non-judgmental
way. The items are divided into Physical, Emotional and Mental Consciousness factors (five items: 6,
7, 14, 15, 25).
4) Autonomy: refers to the degree of autonomy- the individualization of a person; in other words,
the ability to function autonomously, without requiring external support. All the items contribute to the
Self-Consciousness factor (three items: 58, 59, 60).
5) Personal Growth: refers to the ability of being conscious of the evolutionary transformation
one person goes through. The items are part of the Self-Consciousness factor (two items: 61, 62).
6) Positive Relations with Others: is the ability of being conscious of inter-personal
relationships. The items are part of the Social-Relational Consciousness factor (three items: 45, 46, 47).
7) Purpose in Life: refers to existence of a purpose in life. Purpose is the context of meaning
within which one makes life choices. The items are part of the Spiritual Consciousness factor (three
items: 33, 34, 35).
8. Verbal Expression: describes the ability of expressing the conscious content through verbal
communication. The items are spread, with one in each main factor (six items: 4, 12, 21, 30, 43, 52).
9) Openness Toward New Experiences: refers to the ability of being conscious of new
information; generally this is the ability of being open to any new thing happening to one. The items
are part of the Spiritual Consciousness and Self-Consciousness factors (five items: 38, 39, 40, 61, 62).
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CQ-i Compliance with international
assessment standards
CQ-i is been developed respecting the international assessment standards
> Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, jointly published
in 1999 by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the
American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Council on
Measurement in Education (NCME).
> Guidelines for Computer-Based Testing (published in 2001 by the
Association of Test Publishers (ATP).
> Test Adaptation Guidelines and the International Guidelines on
Computer-Based and Internet-Delivered Testing, developed by the
International Test Commission (2000, 2005).
> BIACO Standards for Proprietary Testing Programs, developed by The
Buros Institute for Assessment Consultation and Outreach (BIACO), a
division of the Buros Center for Testing at the University of Nebraska –
Lincoln.
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Validity & Reliability
Validity analyses
Content validity. Examining the theory behind the items, item evaluation, expert
consultation, literature research, Willis’ cognitive interviewing methodology
Construct validity: factor analysis
Concurrent validity (criterion-related): using other existing assessment instruments
(tested at the same time); we used CPI, EQ-i, NEO PI-R, MSCEIT, GAMA
Predictive validity (criterion-related) – academic performance, efficiency of
spiritual practices. Further studies to be realized in 2013-2014 - predictive future
outcomes; we will use criteria such as performance
Reliability
Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha, split-half)
Test-Retest
Advanced reliability: IRT (item response theory), Rasch analysis – to be undertaken
Error of measurements – validity scales – research started for “lie scale”, extremity
response scale
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Applications of CQ-i
CQ-i can be used for evaluating personal development or in psychotherapy when
evaluating the progress of a client. Other areas include leadership, employee
satisfaction, digital interactions, the arts, medicine, military applications and the
efficacy of religious techniques.
CQ as a predictor of performance at work.
CQ as a tool for evaluating personal development.
IQ, EQ, CQ.
CQ and personality.
CQ in organizations, conscious leadership.
Evaluation of personal development and spiritual practices (yoga, religious
techniques).
Psychotherapy - evaluating progress in the psychotherapeutic process.
Using CQI in coaching and leadership training.
CQ as a predictor of employee satisfaction and performance.
Customer care - CQ as a predictor of customer satisfaction in call centres
Digital CQ - CQ and digital interactions between individuals.
Arts and CQ - actors, painters and subjective artistic experience.
CQ in education - CQ as a predictor of academic performance.
Medicine, psychiatry - CQ and illness.
CQ in military organizations.
Planetary CQ project - how fast is our CQ changing? Longitudinal studies.
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Discussions
Levels of being conscious - levels of CQ. How fast is CQ changing?
IQ is changing! The Flynn Effect…
The Flynn Effect is the substantial and long-sustained increase in intelligence
test scores measured in many parts of the world from roughly 1930 to the
present day.
Terminology - consciousness in psychological assessment
Awareness vs. Consciousness
CQ - one single construct, like IQ, without factors / axis?
Do we have a predictive power of CQ-i?
The exploration process will last until 2014.
I invite you to contribute to this science endeavour
by using CQ-i on various populations.
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