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Module 1.5a

Module 1.5a Sleep: Consciousness
INTRODUCE THE MODULE
Make It Meaningful
LEARNING TARGETS
1.5-1 Explain the place of consciousness in psychology’s history. (5 minutes) Ask students to flip
1.5-2 Explain the dual processing being revealed by today’s cognitive neuroscience. through Module 1.5a and preview
the material. Ask them to write
down one concept or term they
onsciousness is a funny thing. It offers us weird experiences, as when entering sleep
or leaving a dream. And sometimes, it leaves us wondering who is really in control. have heard of before and one that
CAfter zoning me [DM] out with nitrous oxide, my dentist tells me to they have not. Use their responses
turn my head to the left. My conscious mind resists: “No way,” I silently say. to preview what’s to come in this
“You can’t boss me around!” Whereupon my robotic head, ignoring my con-
scious mind, turns obligingly under the dentist’s control. module.
What do such experiences tell us? And how do our states of consciousness
play out in our sleep and dreams?
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Not for redistribution.
Defining Consciousness INTRODUCE THE MODULE

1.5-1 What is the place of consciousness in psychology’s history?
1.5-1 What is the place of consciousness in psychology’s history? Roz Chast/The New Yorker Collection/The Cartoon Bank Activate Prior Knowledge
Every science has concepts so fundamental that they are nearly impossible to (10 minutes) Begin class with
define. Biologists agree on what is alive but not on precisely what life is. In
physics, matter and energy elude simple definition. To psychologists, conscious- this activity, which asks students
ness is similarly a fundamental yet slippery concept. to decide if statements are
At its beginning, psychology was “the description and explanation of states of conscious- true or false. The statements
ness” ( Ladd, 1887 ). But during the first half of the twentieth century, the difficulty of scien-
tifically studying consciousness led many psychologists — including those in the emerging AP Exam Tip tap into common beliefs and
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school of behaviorism — to turn to direct observations of behavior. By 1960, psychology had misconceptions about psychology.

nearly lost consciousness, defining itself as “the science of behavior.” Like a car’s speedom- Our modern-day understanding This activity will benefit students’
,
eter, consciousness “just reflects what’s happening” ( Seligman, 1991 p. 24 ). of the unconscious differs from
But in the 1960s, psychology began regaining consciousness. Neuroscience advances Sigmund Freud’s theory of the understanding of Module 1.5a as
linked brain activity to sleeping, dreaming, and other mental states. Researchers began unconscious ( Module 4.5 ). Freud they read.
studying consciousness altered by drugs, hypnosis, and meditation. Psychologists of all believed the unconscious was a
hiding place for our most anxiety-
persuasions were affirming the importance of cognition, or mental processes. Most psy- provoking ideas and emotions, M1.5a: Fact or Falsehood?
chologists today define consciousness as our subjective awareness of ourselves and our and that uncovering those hidden
thoughts could lead to healing.
environment ( Feinberg & Mallatt, 2016 ). Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
Now, most psychologists simply
• Conscious awareness helps us make sense of our life, including our sensations, emotions, view the unconscious track as

and choices ( Weisman et al., 2017 ). It allows us to set and achieve goals as we reflect on information processing without
awareness. Make sure you keep
our past, adapt to our present, and plan for our future. Most conscious thoughts focus on these two ideas of the unconscious CONNECT 1.5-1
the present and the future ( Baumeister et al., 2020 ). straight. Both interpretations could
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be seen on the AP exam. Share with students that early ideas

• When learning a behavior, conscious awareness focuses our attention ( Logan, 2018 ;
Servant et al., 2018 ). Over time, our mind tends to run on autopilot ( Logan, 2018 ; Rand about the nature of consciousness
et al., 2017 ). When learning to ride a bike, we focus on obstacles that we have to steer are of renewed interest. For most of
around and on how to use the brakes. With practice, riding a bike becomes semi-automatic. consciousness our subjective
awareness of ourselves and our the twentieth century, the study of

• Over time, we flit between different states of consciousness, including normal waking environment.
awareness and various altered states ( Figure 1.5-1 ) . consciousness rested on the back

burner as behaviorism and its focus on
observable behavior reigned. Now that
Sleep: Consciousness Module 1.5a 87 brain-scanning technology (described
in Module 1.4a) enables us to see the
brain at work, we can examine how
dual processing works, unlocking the
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effect of unconscious processing on
behavior and mental processes.

Sleep: Consciousness Module 1.5a 87

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