Today, for most psychologists, consciousness consists of knowing ourselves and our environment. It is what brings various information to the surface, which allows us to reflect and make plans. When we learn a complex concept or behavior, such as driving a car, it directs our concentration toward the car and traffic. This knowledge varies with our level of attention. With practice, the behavior becomes automated and no longer requires exclusive attention, so we are free to focus on other activities. If I ask you to pay attention to the weight of your body pressing on your buttocks while you read a book sitting down, you will momentarily stop reading.
It’s like a CEO whose assistants automatically take care of routine matters
Conscious awareness allows us to exercise voluntary control and communicate our mental states to others, although consciousness is only the tip of the iceberg as research reveals that we process a large amount of information outside of consciousness. For example, when we meet someone, we instantly and unconsciously react to their gender, age, and physical appearance and then become aware of our response. We change our attitudes and reconstruct our memories without being aware of it.
Unlike parallel processing of unconscious information, conscious processing occurs as a sequence (serial). Consciousness is relatively slow and has limited capacity, but it is prepared to solve new problems. It’s like a CEO whose assistants automatically take care of routine matters. When driving along a familiar route, his hands and feet lead while his mind engages in conversation. Flying on autopilot allows consciousness (chief executive officer of the mind) to control the entire system and deal with new challenges.
Fountain: Myers, D. (2006), Psychology 7th edition, Editorial Médica Panamericana: Madrid.
Image: (Flickr)
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