The Functions of Consciousness

While some psychologists were trying to discover what consciousness is by

analyzing experiences and relating them to environmental and organic factors,

other investigators of consciousness were more interested in what conscious_

ness does; that is, in its functions. Perhaps the most important impetus for such

a «functional» approach to the study of consciousness came fromthe Darwin_

ian doctrine of evolution. Darwin, in discussing the struggle for existence, had

pointed out that organisms which have the most adequate means of adjusting to

their environment are those most likely to survive. How consciousness might

aid survival of organisms appeared, therefore, worthy of scientific study. Intro_

spection revealed that learning a motor skill makes one vividly conscious at first

of one’s activities. As the habit approaches perfection, however, consciousness

gradually recedes. The perfected habit then is carried out automatically, with_

out necessary participation of consciousness. Thus it appeared that conscious_

ness contributes to the survival of organisms by aiding them to learn.

This approach to the study of consciousness failed to advance an under_

standing of what consciousness is, or even, to any appreciable extent, what

consciousness does. Nevertheless, it proved very important in shaping the fur_

ther development of psychology. Seeking to discover the functions of con_

sciousness in adjustment, psychologistswere led to investigate the learning pro_

cess itself. They eventually payed attention less to consciousness and more to

the environmental and organic conditions which produce efficient learning.

Such a change of emphasis made psychology what had previously been

regarded as a science of the functions of consciousness, a science of behaviour.

(Norman Mann. «Psychology». N.Y., 1968, pp. 6 —8)

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 2271