Chapter 3- Consciousness Flashcards
consciousness
our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment
hypnosis
a social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perception, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur
Has been used to lessen pain related to medical procedures, headaches, burn injuries, heart disease, and dental issues. Can reduce emotional distress, unpleasant thinking, and the pain of social rejection. Can aid in weight loss especially when used with psychotherapy.
cognitive neuroscience
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition
including perception, thinking, memory, and language
selective attention
focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
note: our senses take in 11 mil bits of info/sec. + 40 are processed
cocktail party effect- ability to attend to only one voice within a sea of many as you chat w a party guest; when another person speaks your name your cognitive radar (operating on your mind’s other track, instantly brings that unattended voice into consciousness
inattentional blindness
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
ex. ppl failed to see women w umbrella and gorilla when focused on game
inattentional numbness
ex. distracted participants failed to percieve an otherwise easily-noticed vibration to their hand
-magicians take advantage of this
change blindness
failing to notice changes in the environment; a form of inattentional blindness
ex. viewers failed to notice that after a brief visual interruption, a big Coke bottle had disappeared, a railing had risen, clothing had changed color, someone they’d been talking to had been replaced by a different person
change blindness
failing to notice changes in the environment; a form of inattentional blindness
ex. viewers failed to notice that after a brief visual interruption, a big Coke bottle had disappeared, a railing had risen, clothing had changed color, someone they’d been talking to had been replaced by a different person
dual processing
the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
ex. drivers veering right
blindsight
a condition in which a person can respond to a visua stimulus without consciously experiencing it
ex. women who couldn’t see but could slip posticards into a mail slot… if ur right and left eyes view different scenes, u will only be consciously aware of one at a time; yet, you’ll display some blindsight awareness of the other
visual perception track
enables us to think about the world- to recognize things and to plan future actions
visual action track
guides our moment-to-moment movements
parallel processing
processing many aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously
enables your mind to take care of routine business
sequential processing
processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems
best 4 solving new problems that require our focus/attention on 1 thing
What are the mind’s two tracks?
The conscious and unconscious mind
Inattentional blindness is a product of our —- attention.
selective attention
sleep
a periodic, natural loss of consciousness – as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation
EEGS show the brain’s auditory cortex responds to sound stimuli
Even when you sleep deeply your perceptual window is open a crack…. the sound of your name can cause your unconscious body to perk up… when you sleep you process most info outside your conscious awareness
ciradian rhythm
our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle
thinking+memory improve as we approach r daily peak in circadian rhythm
temperature circadian rhythm
rises as morning nears, peaks during the day, dips for a time in early afternoon, and drops again at evening
What alters circadian rhythm?
Age and Experience; most 20 yo are owls w performance improving throughout the day, most older adults are early birds
Night owls tend to be creative, smart, and hard-working. Morning types tend to do better in school, take more initiative, be more punctual, and be less vulnerable to depression
REM sleep
rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams occur. Aka paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active…about 100 mins total and 20-25% of the cycle
sometimes called R-sleep, lasts about 10 minutes percycle
heart rate rises, breathing becomes rapid and irregular, every 30 secs closed eyes dart around in momentary bursts of energy (these eye movements announce the beg. of a dream), genitals become eroused (except during very scary dreams), brain’s motor cortex is active but brainstem blocks the messages
alpha waves
the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
you can still attend to what the researcher says throught the intercom
N1 sleep
the first stage of non-REM sleep, may experience fantastic images resembling hallucinations, may have a sensation of falling, or of floating weightlessly
sensations are called hypnagogic or hypnic, and may be later incorporated into your memories
N2 Sleep
lasts around 20 minutes, with periodic sleep spindles… you can be awakened without too much difficulty but are clearly asleep
sleep spindles are bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain-wave activity that aid memory processing