| FORM: | ARTICLE |
| Author: | Natsoulas, Thomas |
| Affiliation: | U California, Dept of Psychology, Davis, USA |
| Title: | The importance of being conscious. |
| Source: | Journal of Mind & Behavior, 1993 Fal, 1993. 14 (4): p.317-340 |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects: | Thesaurus terms: Cognitive Processes Consciousness States Perception |
| Added Keywords: | psychological functions requiring inner consciousness |
| Classification Code: | Consciousness States (2380) |
| Population Terms: Human | |
| Abstract: | Addresses psychological functions that cannot proceed without inner (2nd-order) consciousness (CSC). It is argued that the overt social action of reporting a toothache to someone else is one such function (i.e., without 2nd-order CSC of having the toothache, simply having a toothache does not suffice for the report, notwithstanding the 1st-order, pain-qualitative CSC of one’s tooth or part of the mouth). Another example is when someone reports seeing something (“X”). In making such reports, a person must choose which sentence to utter depending on the 2nd-order CSC of seeing; again, simply (nonconsciously) seeing X, though this includes a 1st-order, visual CSC of X, does not suffice for the report. Also, controlling active locomotor behavior on a visual basis necessarily involves having 2nd-order CSC of how, as the Subject moves, a part of the environment is transforming or changing in how the Subject is visually experiencing it. ((c) 1999 APA/PsycINFO, all rights reserved) |