Full Idea
The 'dispositional' HOT thesis says that a state is conscious just in case it could have been the subject of an introspective Higher-Order judgement, even if it wasn't actually so subject.
Clarification
HOT stands for higher-order thought
Gist of Idea
States are conscious if they could be the subject of higher-order mental judgements
Source
David Papineau (Thinking about Consciousness [2002], 7.13)
Book Reference
Papineau,David: 'Thinking about Consciousness' [OUP 2004], p.210
A Reaction
[He cites Dennett and Carruthers for this view] This is designed to meet other problems, but it sounds odd. Does it really make no difference whether higher-judgement actually occurs? How can conscious events be distinguished once they've gone?