Level of awareness

According to S. Freud there are 3 levels of awareness distinguished:

• conscious
• unconscious
• preconscious.

In other classification psychology describes following levels:

• Level 0: Confusion
• Level 1: Differentiation
• Level 2: Situation
• Level 3: Identification
• Level 4: Permanence
• Level 5: Self-consciousness or ‘‘meta’’ self-awareness

In learning of new skills we can distinguish:

• Mass - following the crowd
• Aspiration - to do own work
• Individual - capability to do work
• Discipline - motivation to do work
• Experience
• Mastery

Conscious

There is no single meaning of the word consciousness. Speaking about the consciousness of the patient, the doctor means his consciousness in the context of vigilance. It is believed that it changes constantly from coma to all consciousness. All moments are connected by one we have a limited amount of information that we consciously use. We express it through spoken words to a given context or body movement.(S. Dehaene, p. Changeux 2011,200)

Unconscious

The human actions taken are to lead them to implement the plans. Behaviorists believe that people are able to reach the goal without worrying about action. According to them, awareness is the first point of pursuing a goal. The decision is the most important thing in taking action. This means that this decision has been followed by action. New discoveries indicate that awareness of decisions is not the cause of action. They say that some activities are done for unconscious purposes.

People feel that they have influence on what they do and what they want. This knowledge gives people the opportunity to imagine alternative life. We have an influence on how we spend our time, we only need to take a decision and act in this direction. How we behave seems to have a source in informed decisions. Researchers conducted studies that show us that it is different. They conducted an experiment in which the subjects could choose the time when they move their index finger. Researchers measured the time of movement, brain preparation and time in which action was taken. It was discovered that the decision was before action. However, finger movement was planned by the brain for conscious action. When a person deliberately sets a goal that requires e.g. body movement, the decision begins in the unconscious. (R. Custers, H. Aarts 2010,2)

Preconscious

According to Freud, we have two types of unconsciousness. A hidden which can turn into a conscious and muffled which, thanks to the normal method, can not be revealed. On the second level of the unconscious we speak the Preconscious. It is this hidden part of the unconscious. It is a representative of memory. People do not know what is hiding in Preconscious. We have the opportunity to move them to consciousness whenever we want. When we drive a car, we are not aware of all the things that are happening around us. With the help of peripheral vision, which has a similar effect to Preconscious we complete our awareness. It gives us the opportunity to use the data that is around us to make our ride safe.(W. Siegfried 2014,2)

Level of awareness among university staff

More and more people use social networking sites. This is a new phenomenon in the world. What is the impact on university staff? Employees who teach for a long time and those who have a shorter work period do not indicate significant differences in awareness. The level of lecturers' awareness does not differ in faculties. So do those who teach full-time and partly have the same level of awareness. It may seem that lecturers who teach online will have a higher level of awareness of social networking sites. However, even in this field there are no particular differences.(M. Moran, J. Seaman, H.Tinti-Kane 2011, 9)

Examples of Level of awareness

Consciousness: This is the level of awareness that we are aware of in our daily lives. It includes our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and memories that we are aware of at any given moment.

Examples:

• Making a decision about what to wear for the day.
• Remembering the name of a childhood friend.
• Recognizing a familiar face in a crowd.

Preconscious: This is the level of awareness that is not in our immediate consciousness but can be easily brought to the surface. It includes information that we can easily recall, such as memories and facts.

Examples:

• Remembering the phone number of a family member.
• Recalling the name of a restaurant you visited last week.
• Retrieving the address of a childhood home.

Unconscious: This is the level of awareness that is not available to our conscious minds. It includes repressed emotions, forgotten memories, and hidden desires.

Examples:

• Suppressing anger towards a friend.
• Not remembering the details of a traumatic experience.
• Experiencing hidden desires for someone you have never met.

Advantages of Level of awareness

Freud's three levels of awareness are the conscious mind, the preconscious mind and the unconscious mind. Each level has its own advantages:

• The conscious mind is the part of the mind that is aware of the current environment and is able to think and act rationally in the present. Its advantage is that it is aware and can make conscious decisions.
• The preconscious mind is the part of the mind that can bring information from the unconscious mind into conscious awareness. Its advantage is that it can make use of unconscious material to solve conscious problems.
• The unconscious mind is the part of the mind that contains repressed thoughts, feelings, and memories. Its advantage is that it can enable people to gain access to forgotten memories and to tap into emotional and intellectual resources that can lead to creativity and insight.

Limitations of Level of awareness

According to S. Freud, there are three distinct levels of awareness: conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. Each of these levels has its own unique limitations. These limitations include:

• The conscious level of awareness only allows a person to be aware of the present moment and does not allow for access to memories or past experiences.
• The preconscious level of awareness allows a person access to memories and past experiences but does not allow for the ability to access information that is not readily available.
• The unconscious level of awareness is where the deepest parts of a person's mind are stored and is inaccessible to conscious awareness. It is believed to contain a person's repressed memories, instinctual drives, and most primitive emotions.

Other approaches related to Level of awareness

S. Freud's three levels of awareness are conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. However, there are several other approaches related to the level of awareness. These include:

• The Structural Model of the Mind, which divides the mind into three parts: the id, ego, and superego. The id is the unconscious part, while the ego and superego are conscious.
• The Cognitive Level Model, which proposes that the mind is divided into two levels: the conscious and the unconscious.
• The Three-Brain Model, which suggests that the brain is divided into three parts: the reptilian brain, the limbic system, and the neocortex. The reptilian brain is the most primitive and unconscious part, while the neocortex is the most advanced and conscious part.

In conclusion, there are several approaches related to the level of awareness that build upon S. Freud's original three levels. These include the Structural Model of the Mind, the Cognitive Level Model, and the Three-Brain Model.

Level of awareness — recommended articles

Belbin team roles — Psychological age — Levels of learning — Behavioral theory — Belbin team role inventory — Internal motivation — Career orientation — Interpersonal communication skills — Bias for action

References

• Cope, J. (2003). Entrepreneurial learning and critical reflection: Discontinuous events as triggers for ‘higher-level’learning. Management learning, 34(4), 429-450.
• S. Dehaene, J. Changeux. (2011). Experimental and Theoretical Approaches to Conscious Processing. Neuron 70, 200-227, p. 200.
• R. Custers, H. Aarts. (2010). The Unconscious Will: How the Pursuit of Goals Operates Outside of Conscious Awareness. Science 329, p. 2.
• W. Siegfried. (2014). The Formation and Structure of the Human Psyche.Athene Noctua: Undergraduate Philosophy Journal Issue No. 2, p. 2.
• M. Moran, J. Seaman, H. Tinti-Kane. (2011). Teaching, Learning, and Sharing: How Today’s Higher Education Faculty Use Social Media. Pearson Learning Solutions and Babson Survey Research Group, p. 9-10.

Author: Aneta Suder