CONSCIOUSNESS(3) AND GIBSONS CONCEPT OF AWARENESS

Currently in psychology, after a long hiatus, there exists an accelera ting interest in the nature and character of consciousness. As might b e expected at this early point in our return to consciousness, much of the relevant discussion among psychologists proceeds at the commonsen se level of understanding. However, some psychologies are already movi ng beyond ordinary thought, and providing one or more technical concep ts of consciousness. Such psychologies may be useful in improving psyc hologists' conceptual grasp of the referents of our ordinary concepts of consciousness. Among the ordinary concepts of consciousness, probab ly the most basic one is che concept of consciousness, (awareness). Am ong the psychologies that could be helpful is the influential ecologic al approach developed by James J. Gibson. This article is propaedeutic to putting Gibson's technical concept of awareness to work in improvi ng the concept of consciousness. First, features of the latter concept are identified; and then, with this concept firmly in mind, Gibson's concept of awareness, mainly its perceptual application, is made expli cit and discussed with regard to a number of its important features. I n both these ways, and others to follow based on the same materials, I hope to contribute to the conceptual sophistication of psychologists as they again seek to address the topic of consciousness.