chapter 3 consciousness and the two-track mind recognition Flashcards
our awareness of ourselves and our environment.
consciousness
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language).
cognitive neuroscience
the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.
dual processing
a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it.
blindsight
the focusing of conscious awareness on particular stimulus.
selective attention
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
inattentional blindness
failing to notice changes in the environment.
change blindness
the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle.
circadian rhythm
rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active.
REM sleep
the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state.
Alpha waves
periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness-as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation.
Sleep
false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus.
hallucinations
the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep.
delta waves
recurring problems in falling or staying asleep.
Insomnia
a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times.
narcolepsy
a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings.
sleep apnea
a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terror occur during NREM-3 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered.
Night terrors
a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. Dreams are notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities, and incongruities, and for the dreamer’s delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering it.
Dream
according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream (as distinct from its latent, or hidden, content).
manifest content
according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream (as distinct from its manifest content).
latent content
the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep).
REM rebound
a social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur.
hypnosis
a suggestion, made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some clinicians to help control undesired symptoms and behaviors.
posthypnotic suggestion
a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others.
dissociation
a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods.
psychoactive drug
the diminishing effect with regular use of the some dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger does before experiencing the drug’s effect.
tolerance
compulsive drug craving and use, despite adverse consequences.
addiction
the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug.
withdrawal
a physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued.
physical dependence
a psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions.
psychological dependence
drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.
depressants
(popularly known as alcoholism). Alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal if suspended, and a drive to continue use.
alcohol dependence
drugs that depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment.
Barbiturates
opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessoning pain and anxiety.
Opiates
drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, and methamphetamine) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.
Stimulants
drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes.
Amphetamines
a stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco.
Nicotine
a powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes; over time, appears to reduce baseline dopamine levels.
Methamphetamine
a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short-term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition.
Ecstasy (MDMA)
psychedelic (“mind-manifesting”) drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.
hallucinogens
a powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid (lysergic acid diethylamide).
LSD
an altered sate of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as through cardiac arrest); often similar to drug-induced hallucinations.
Near-death experience
the major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations.
THC
