Dimensions Of Consciousness Research Articles

Towards what end? Collective bargaining and the making and unmaking of the working class

In contemporary literature, bargaining is often construed as an instrument in the hands of the employer, a practice that is sustained by undermining worker solidarity and promoting interests of privileged unionized workers at the expense of other workers. This article challenges such narratives by foregrounding the idea of solidarity and highlighting the complex interplay of solidarity emanating from the multiple ways consciousness about worker identity plays out. Drawing on the literature on new social movements (NSM) and industrial relations (IR), the article shows that the relevance of bargaining is not merely confined to instrumental economic goals but extends to politically constitutive action. In the process of bargaining the political agency of workers and distinctive articulations of solidarity are identified. This article presents and classifies three kinds of solidarity that correspond to the three dimensions of political consciousness, namely critical solidarity, limited solidarity and absent solidarity across cases that are shaped by contextual realities of labour politics.

Critical Consciousness and Wellbeing in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review.

Youth experiencing systemic oppression(s) face heightened challenges to wellbeing. Critical consciousness, comprised of reflection, motivation, and action against oppression, may protect wellbeing. Wellbeing here refers to mental, socioemotional, and physical health. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize research on the relationship between critical consciousness and wellbeing among adolescents and young adults (ages 12–29). Five databases (PsycInfo, PsychArticles, ERIC, Sociological s, and PubMed) were searched systematically using keyword searches and inclusion/exclusion criteria; 29 eligible studies were included. Results demonstrated that the critical consciousness and wellbeing relationship varied by critical consciousness dimension and age. The studies of adolescents most often focused on racial/ethnic marginalization and found critical motivation most strongly associated with better wellbeing. The studies of young adults focused on young adult college students and identified mixed results specifically between activism and mental health. Study methods across age spans were primarily quantitative and cross-sectional. Research on critical consciousness and wellbeing can benefit from studies that consider multiple critical consciousness dimensions, use longitudinal approaches, and include youth experiencing multiple and intersecting systems of privilege and marginalization.

Inner-outer couple: anima and animus revisited. New perspectives for a clinical approach in transition.

The conflicts of the outer couple (crises, separations, divorces) with a high incidence in the rates of depression, reveal the archetypal dysfunction of the relationship between the inner-couple (in-shadow) and the outer-couple (in-crisis). To understand this in depth, a new animated and integrated model of the masculine (animus) and the feminine (anima) is explored. It is a transformational model, in which Jung's contributions are integrated and understood as knowledge in transition. Masculine and feminine cosmogonic principles are personified in the human psyche as anima-animus archetypes-complexes. Their relationship, mediated by the binding eros (cosmogonic-eros), configures the inner-couple-complex. Masculine and feminine are differentiations of the Self energy, present in both men and women. In the conscious dimension, they structure the ego-anima-animus identity; in the dimension of the personal unconscious, the anima-animus complexes; and at the archetypal level, the deep identity of the primordial feminine/masculine. In this initial restructured model, the anima-animus relationship and the description of the dual quaternity as the dynamics of the inner-outer couple interrelation are especially significant. The breadth and comprehensive richness of the new model is illustrated in the clinical/dream material of a patient under analysis, presenting the dynamics: inner couple in shadow - outer couple in crisis.

Awareness, social cognition, and commitment: Developing a social justice orientation in psychology training programs.

This study investigates how the awareness of social inequities and racism may serve as a foundation for psychology trainees' social justice self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, interests, and commitment. Using the social-cognitive justice developmental framework proposed by Miller et al. (2009), a total of 222 participants were recruited from accredited applied psychology programs across the United States. Participants completed measures assessing their levels of two dimensions of critical consciousness: Egalitarianism and awareness of inequality (Diemer et al., 2017), their colorblind racial attitudes (Neville et al., 2000), and their social justice self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, and commitment (Miller et al., 2009). A hypothesized path model was fit to the data. Alternative models were also considered. Results indicated that participants who endorsed egalitarianism and were more aware of social inequities showed greater awareness of racism and, in turn, were more likely to endorse a higher orientation and commitment to social justice. Limitations and implications for future research and training are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Deep brain stimulation of the thalamus restores signatures of consciousness in a nonhuman primate model.

Loss of consciousness is associated with the disruption of long-range thalamocortical and corticocortical brain communication. We tested the hypothesis that deep brain stimulation (DBS) of central thalamus might restore both arousal and awareness following consciousness loss. We applied anesthesia to suppress consciousness in nonhuman primates. During anesthesia, central thalamic stimulation induced arousal in an on-off manner and increased functional magnetic resonance imaging activity in prefrontal, parietal, and cingulate cortices. Moreover, DBS restored a broad dynamic repertoire of spontaneous resting-state activity, previously described as a signature of consciousness. None of these effects were obtained during the stimulation of a control site in the ventrolateral thalamus. Last, DBS restored a broad hierarchical response to auditory violations that was disrupted under anesthesia. Thus, DBS restored the two dimensions of consciousness, arousal and conscious access, following consciousness loss, paving the way to its therapeutical translation in patients with disorders of consciousness.

The Dimension of Neural Memory and Consciousness

The mental dimension is an experiential state achieved by neural circuits, that cannot be measured by physical means but that nonetheless affects the behavior of conscious neural creatures. The “meaning” or “worth” of anything in the life of animals is based on emotive factors that are recalled from past experience. Emotive memory is the key to the “consciousness” that determines decisions and valuations. Even supposedly rational economic decisions are ultimately based on affective considerations. From the Darwinian perspective, neural signaling evolved from bacterial signaling processes which employed small molecules (i.e. biogenic amines). The tripartite mechanism provides a chemodynamic rationale for considering the physiologic basis of such signaling, a key facet of “consciousness”. We note that the original bacterial signaling molecules (i.e. biogenic amines), later termed “neuro-transmitters” (NTs)) were retained by and still used by all neurons. To clarify the discussion, we de-limit the meaning of terms commonly used by both computer scientists and neurobiologists (i.e. “memory”, “information”, “feelings”, “emotions” , “energy”, “artificial intelligence”, “logic” and “dimension”). Mind and body are a complex unity. The psyche emerges from the physiology and chemistry of interacting neurons, projecting an ensemble of physiologic sensibilities into a psychic (mental) dimension. Without memory, there are no emotions and vice versa…without emotive qualities, memory fades. Emotions and memory are linked facets of the psychic dimension of consciousness, encoded and decoded by the biochemically active neural net.

A 21st Century Take on Racial-Ethnic Socialization: Patterns of Competency and Content among Diverse Parents of Color

Racial-ethnic socialization is a process where parents pass beliefs and behaviors to their children, including critical reflections on race and racism. Currently, it is not well known across racial/ethnic groups in the U.S how parents’ socialization competency (confidence, skills, and stress surrounding the delivery of racial-ethnic socialization) coalesces with the frequency with which they deliver different types of socialization messages (socialization content). The current study utilizes latent profile analysis to examine racial-ethnic socialization content and competency patterns among 203 Black, 194 Latinx, and 188 Asian American parents (n = 585, Mage = 44.46, SD = 9.14, 59.70% mothers) with children 10–18 years old (Mage = 14.30, SD = 2.49, 50.3% female). Furthermore, we relate profiles to sociodemographic and relevant factors posited to impact socialization competency and content delivery, namely, discrimination and critical consciousness dimensions (reflection, motivation, action). We observed three parental profiles: Less Prepared Stressed Low Frequency (LPSLF; n = 285), Prepared Low Stress Frequent (PLSF; n = 204), and Prepared Stressed Frequent (PSF; n = 96) socializers. Profile differences emerged on parental and youth sociodemographic factors, lifetime discrimination exposure, and each parental critical consciousness dimension. This study lays a foundation for the combined study of racial-ethnic socialization competence and content in diverse groups, a practice crucial to understanding 21st century parenting.

The Green storytelling marketing: influencing consumer purchase decision through environmental consciousness

This research examines marketing on social media using green storytelling, especially on green products such as product of composting. In the green storytelling marketing activity, stories about composting activities at home are shown to eradicate the problem of organic waste and promoting product of composting. It is interesting because currently organic waste is the most common type of waste in Indonesia. This research uses a quantitative method for followers of the Instagram account @Sustaination (N=338). Participants are account followers who have purchased composter products and carried out composting activities. An interesting finding in this study is that green storytelling marketing activities can have a direct influence on purchasing decisions for composter products. In addition, the influence of green storytelling marketing can also affect on purchase decision through environmental consciousness. This is because green storytelling marketing can affect the affective, cognitive, and dispositional dimensions of environmental consciousness. In green storytelling marketing, there is information and knowledge conveyed through the stories displayed. This can then help influence the active dimension in which there is an element of purchasing green products. This is the reason green storytelling marketing through environmental consciousness can influence the purchase decision of composter products.

Temporo-spatial Theory of Consciousness (TTC) – Bridging the gap of neuronal activity and phenomenal states

Consciousness and its neural mechanisms remain a mystery. Current neuroscientific theories focus predominantly on the external input/stimulus and the associated stimulus-related activity during conscious contents. Despite all progress, we encounter two gaps: (i) a gap between spontaneous and stimulus-related activity; (ii) a gap between neuronal and phenomenal features. A novel, different, and unique approach, Temporo-spatial Theory of Consciousness (TTC) aims to bridge both gaps. The TTC focuses on the brain’s spontaneous activity and how its spatial topography and temporal dynamic shape stimulus-related activity and resurface in the corresponding spatial and temporal features of consciousness, i.e., ‘common currency’. The TTC introduces four temporo-spatial mechanisms: expansion, globalization, alignment, and nestedness. These are associated with distinct dimensions of consciousness including phenomenal content, access, form/structure, and level/state, respectively. Following up on the first introduction of the TTC in 2017, we review updates, further develop these temporo-spatial mechanisms, and postulate specific neurophenomenal hypotheses. We conclude that the TTC offers a viable approach for (i) linking spontaneous and stimulus-related activity in conscious states; (ii) determining specific neuronal and neurophenomenal mechanisms for the distinct dimensions of consciousness; (iii) an integrative and unifying framework of different neuroscientific theories of consciousness; and (iv) offers novel empirically grounded conceptual assumptions about the biological and ontological nature of consciousness and its relation to the brain.

Unintended Deviations of a Random Event Generator by Patients With Late Life Depression and Anxiety During a Direct Mental Influence Task.

The primary objective was to determine whether depression and anxiety influence the outcome of random microevents in a nonrandom manner in the absence of any physical intervention by using a random event generator (REG). The secondary objective was to correlate other dimensions of consciousness with the REG's output. The experimental group (n = 30) included individuals with depression, the control group (n = 15) included individuals without depression, and the comparison group (n = 10) included individuals with or without depression. It was hypothesized that those with depression or anxiety would significantly deviate the REG in the unintended direction but the whole sample did [t(49) = -2.37, p = 0.022, two tailed]. There was no significant difference between the group means [F(2, 50) = 0.12, p = 0.84] and no robust correlations between dimensions of consciousness and REG activity. Further analysis is needed to understand negative emotions in mind-matter interactions.

Linking critical consciousness and health: The utility of the critical reflection about social determinants of health scale (CR_SDH)

IntroductionCritical consciousness (CC) theory has been proposed as a framework to inform health interventions targeting a wide variety of health conditions. Unfortunately, methodological limitations have made it difficult to test CC as a mediator of health outcomes. Specifically, standardized and widely accepted measures of health-related CC are needed. The goal of this study was to develop and test a measure of critical reflection on social determinants of health (SDH). This measure focused on critical reflection, an essential dimension of CC. MethodsCommunity-based participatory research principles and a mixed methods design were used with three samples: (1) experts in SDH and CC, (2) 502 individuals completing online surveys, and (3) 602 men with histories of substance use disorder and incarceration. All participants were over 18 years of age. Analysis included descriptive frequencies, exploratory factor analyses (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), generalized linear regression models, correlations, and Cronbach's alpha calculations. ResultsThe Critical Reflection about SDH scale (CR_SDH) is a short, unidimensional, and reliable scale (α = 0.914). Construct validity was supported and known-groups validity showed that the scale discriminated different levels of CR_SDH based on political views, educational level, knowledge of health inequities, and gender. ConclusionThe CR_SDH is a standardized measure that can assess critical reflection about the impact of SDH on health among providers and consumers of health care. The CR_SDH can be used to identify critical reflection related training needs and inform decisions about development and testing of critical reflection related health interventions and health care policy.

Theoretical Model of the Structure of Freedom in Psychology

The modern stage of the development of psychological knowledge reveals new opportunities for a more complete consideration of the phenomenon of freedom in psychology, primarily by studying the spiritual dimension of consciousness. There are four layers of consciousness associated with the development of freedom: spiritual, value, reflexive, and existential. It is shown that most authors consider freedom mainly in the reflexive layer of consciousness, linking it with awareness, meaningfulness of life, self-management. There are fewer studies that affect the value layer of consciousness, where freedom is associated with the desire for self-realization, the choice of personal values and meanings; studies of the existential layer, where freedom is considered as a choice of opportunities in the space of culture, the space of social norms and rules. The article presents the approach of V.P. Zinchenko and G.V. Ozhiganova, who showed the importance of the spiritual layer of consciousness, its priority role in relation to the value, reflexive and existential layers. The spiritual layer of consciousness and the corresponding spiritual freedom are poorly studied in psychology, as are the types of freedom and its structural components. Freedom is understood by the author as a component of human consciousness, a product and result of the development of spiritual, value, reflexive and existential layers of consciousness, consisting in the conscious overcoming of external and internal obstacles in the course of life for the purpose of self-realization and spiritual self-improvement. Based on the theoretical analysis of the literature, the author's model of the structure of freedom as a component of human consciousness is proposed, which describes the structure of two types of freedom: external and internal. The appearance of freedom is determined to a greater extent by the existential, reflexive, value-based, to a lesser extent spiritual layers of consciousness, aimed at self-realization and self-actualization. Interior view of freedom is determined to a greater extent by the spiritual, value and reflexive, to a lesser extent by the existential layer of consciousness, aimed at spiritual self-improvement and personal growth. The theoretical model of the structure of freedom as a component of human consciousness proposed by the author can serve as the basis for the study of freedom in psychology.

Consciousness as a multidimensional phenomenon: implications for the assessment of disorders of consciousness.

Disorders of consciousness (DoCs) pose a significant clinical and ethical challenge because they allow for complex forms of conscious experience in patients where intentional behaviour and communication are highly limited or non-existent. There is a pressing need for brain-based assessments that can precisely and accurately characterize the conscious state of individual DoC patients. There has been an ongoing research effort to develop neural measures of consciousness. However, these measures are challenging to validate not only due to our lack of ground truth about consciousness in many DoC patients but also because there is an open ontological question about consciousness. There is a growing, well-supported view that consciousness is a multidimensional phenomenon that cannot be fully described in terms of the theoretical construct of hierarchical, easily ordered conscious levels. The multidimensional view of consciousness challenges the utility of levels-based neural measures in the context of DoC assessment. To examine how these measures may map onto consciousness as a multidimensional phenomenon, this article will investigate a range of studies where they have been applied in states other than DoC and where more is known about conscious experience. This comparative evidence suggests that measures of conscious level are more sensitive to some dimensions of consciousness than others and cannot be assumed to provide a straightforward hierarchical characterization of conscious states. Elevated levels of brain complexity, for example, are associated with conscious states characterized by a high degree of sensory richness and minimal attentional constraints, but are suboptimal for goal-directed behaviour and external responsiveness. Overall, this comparative analysis indicates that there are currently limitations to the use of these measures as tools to evaluate consciousness as a multidimensional phenomenon and that the relationship between these neural signatures and phenomenology requires closer scrutiny.

Hati Nurani

This article describes the meaning of conscience according to the definition presented by the Second Vatican Council in the light of Thomistic and Carmelite perspectives and explains the depth of this definition, in order to dispel misconceptions about the meaning of conscience that are widely circulated, and show its proper role in the edifice of moral theology. For this reason, this article elaborates on the harmonious correlation between the two dimensions of conscience, namely, synderesis and conscientia, as well as the harmonious correlation they have with the virtue of prudence which is perfected by the gift of counsel from the Holy Spirit. The pastoral aspect of this article is presented in the end by analyzing the importance of conscience revived by the Church as presented in the apostolic exhortation of Amoris Laetitia.

Promoting Environmental Citizenship in Education: The Potential of the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire to Measure Impact of Interventions

Policy documents across the globe call for citizen engagement to fight climate change emergencies and build more sustainable societies. They also recognize the key role of formal and non-formal education in preparing citizens to address those challenges. However, there is a need to identify appropriate instruments to evaluate the impact of educational interventions on people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, which are essential components of the action competence required to become environmental citizens and agents of change. The aim of this paper is to investigate the potential of the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ) to evaluate different educational interventions aimed at increasing environmental citizenship. It presents three sub-studies from Spain, Belgium, and Sweden using the SCQ with varying contexts, duration, and target groups yet sharing common pedagogical features in the interventions. Pre-intervention scores indicate a common pattern of high sustainability knowingness, moderate sustainability attitudes, and lower sustainability behaviors in the three dimensions (environmental, social and economic) of sustainability consciousness, and a positive impact on sustainability behavior after the intervention. These findings are especially significant when compared to previous studies. We therefore conclude that the SCQ is useful for detecting the effects of learning interventions of varying designs and contexts that address environmental citizenship. The results are discussed in terms of key pedagogical features of the educational interventions, and the appropriateness and sensitivity of the instrument in detecting changes in the intended direction. It concludes with implications for research and practice and suggestions for future lines of work.

ЧЕЛОВЕК В МИРЕ СОВРЕМЕННОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ: ОПЫТ ФИЛОСОФСКОГО ОСМЫСЛЕНИЯ

The article focuses on the little-studied interrelationship between the human way of being and education. The goal of the study is twofold. First, it is to reconstruct the image of the individual that lies at the basis of the scholars’ worldview. Secondly, it is to develop a model of philosophy that would correspond to this image and correlate with the problems and challenges of modern education. Drawing attention to the widespread use of information and electronic technologies in education, the author argues that the model of human being as embodied presence (embodiment) is very important for pedagogical activities. The significance of this model is that it enables to distinguish the meaning-making dimension of human consciousness so needed by contemporary education. The author demonstrates that an individual sees and cognizes the world not so much with the organs that are available and ready, but rather with those that are constituted in the acts of reflexing. Meaning, therefore, is the reflexive functional organ that reproduces the substance of the personality of a human being as a student. The author also notes that the perception and comprehension of the world is carried out from the perspectives of both the “pure” and the embodied mind. Thus, one of the main tasks of education is to engage and reveal the mind-body system as a source of the subject’s meaning-making activity. So, orienting education towards the individual as a being who does not possess meanings but searches for them will succeed only if the human being is viewed as an integral whole rather than as separate parts. The author concludes that both philosophy and pedagogy need to develop educational anthropology, an interdisciplinary area that would explore the subject of education in the integrity of their three dimensions – mind, body and language, taken as sources of creating meanings.

Experience-Specific Dimensions of Consciousness (Observable in Flexible and Spontaneous Action Planning Among Animals).

The multidimensional framework to the study of consciousness, which comes as an alternative to a single sliding scale model, offers a set of experimental paradigms for investigating dimensions of animal consciousness, acknowledging the compelling urge for a novel approach. One of these dimensions investigates whether non-human animals can flexibly and spontaneously plan for a future event, and for future desires, without relying on reinforcement learning. This is a critical question since different intentional structures for action in non-human animals are described as served by different neural mechanisms underpinning the capacity to represent temporal properties. And a lack of appreciation of this variety of intentional structures and neural correlates has led many experts to doubt that animals have access to temporal reasoning and to not recognize temporality as a mark of consciousness, and as a psychological resource for their life. With respect to this, there is a significant body of ethological evidence for planning abilities in non-human animals, too often overlooked, and that instead should be taken into serious account. This could contribute to assigning consciousness profiles, across and within species, that should be tailored according to an implemented and expansive use of the multidimensional framework. This cannot be fully operational in the absence of an additional tag to its dimensions of variations: the experience-specificity of consciousness.

Octopus Consciousness: The Role of Perceptual Richness

It is always difficult to even advance possible dimensions of consciousness, but Birch et al., 2020 have suggested four possible dimensions and this review discusses the first, perceptual richness, with relation to octopuses. They advance acuity, bandwidth, and categorization power as possible components. It is first necessary to realize that sensory richness does not automatically lead to perceptual richness and this capacity may not be accessed by consciousness. Octopuses do not discriminate light wavelength frequency (color) but rather its plane of polarization, a dimension that we do not understand. Their eyes are laterally placed on the head, leading to monocular vision and head movements that give a sequential rather than simultaneous view of items, possibly consciously planned. Details of control of the rich sensorimotor system of the arms, with 3/5 of the neurons of the nervous system, may normally not be accessed to the brain and thus to consciousness. The chromatophore-based skin appearance system is likely open loop, and not available to the octopus’ vision. Conversely, in a laboratory situation that is not ecologically valid for the octopus, learning about shapes and extents of visual figures was extensive and flexible, likely consciously planned. Similarly, octopuses’ local place in and navigation around space can be guided by light polarization plane and visual landmark location and is learned and monitored. The complex array of chemical cues delivered by water and on surfaces does not fit neatly into the components above and has barely been tested but might easily be described as perceptually rich. The octopus’ curiosity and drive to investigate and gain more information may mean that, apart from richness of any stimulus situation, they are consciously driven to seek out more information. This review suggests that cephalopods may not have a similar type of intelligence as the ‘higher’ vertebrates, they may not have similar dimensions or contents of consciousness, but that such a capacity is present nevertheless.

A STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOUR OF TEACHERS AT SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL

The existing research study was aimed to study the organizational citizenship behaviour of teachers at Secondary level. The nature of this research study was descriptive and gathered the data by survey method. Hundred male and hundred female teachers teaching at Secondary level were chosen by stratified sampling technique from the Islamabad Model Secondary Schools. A standardized questionnaire based on Organizational Citizenship Behavior Scale (OCBS) of 24 items developed by Podsakoff and Moorman (1995) was employed to gather data which have five subscales. Mean, Standard deviation, an independent sample t-test and ANOVA were applied for data analysis. The consciousness dimension has shown high mean score value as compare to the other dimensions of OCB. An independent t-test was employed to see the major difference regarding OCB of male and female teachers. Results indicated that there is a substantial difference in OCB between male and female teachers, moreover results also displays that male teachers have considerably higher level of OCB than female teachers. There is no significant difference found in OCB of teachers based on their marital status and age group. Educational administration should work out on fostering a perception of OCB in their institutions to improve their teaching standard and teachers should also be given incentives by their heads in order to exhibit high level of OCB that will be resulted in their improved performance.

Impact of Muslim decision-making style and religiosity on intention to purchasing certified halal food

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to: build Muslim consumer decision-making style (MCDMS); analyze the influence of the consumer decision-making style on Muslim behavior to buy halal certified food; analyze the impact of religiosity on Muslim behavior in buying halal-certified food and study the role of religiosity in the relationship between MCDMS and Muslim behavior in buying halal certified food.Design/methodology/approachThis study’s target population is the Muslim Indonesian population age at least 18 years old. The self-administered survey method is carried out based on convenience and snowball sampling techniques and the questionnaire is distributed online. This study collects data from 396 Muslim respondents in Indonesia through an online survey. Factor analysis and regression with interaction variables are applied to test the research hypothesis statistically.FindingsThis study reveals several results: MCDMS produces 10 dimensions; halal consciousness is an important dimension; the perfectionist/high-quality conscious and price-conscious, has a significant negative effect on the intention to buy halal-certified food; the halal consciousness and the recreational/hedonic conscious have a significant positive effect on the intention to buy halal certified food; religiosity has a significant positive impact directly on the intention to purchase halal-certified food; Religiosity positively moderates the impact of a perfectionist/high-quality conscious and price-conscious on the intention to buy halal-certified food.Originality/valueThis paper will build an MCDMS by adding the dimensions of halal consciousness. The author has not found literature about MCDMS. This research will also study the impact of MCDMS and religiosity on the intention to buy halal-certified food, as well as will study the role of religiosity in relationships between Muslim decision-making styles and intention to buy halal-certified food. Similar research is still very limited in marketing literature.