Chapter 5 Flashcards
consciousness
a person’s subjective experience of the world and the mind. The defining feature is ‘experience’.
phenomenology
how things seem to be to the conscious person
problem of other minds
the fundamental difficulty we have in perceiving the consciousness of others
mind-body problem
the issue of how the mind is related to the brain and body
the timing of conscious will
brain activity begins (-535ms)
conscious wish to act is experienced (-204 ms)
finger movement occurs (0ms)
four basic principles of consciousness
intentionality, unity, selectivity, transience
consciousness
consciousness is always about something
unity
a resistance to division
selectivity
the capacity to include some objects but not others
transience
the tendency to change
levels of consciousness
minimal consciousness, full consciousness, self consciousness
minimal consciousness
a low level kind of sensory awareness and responsiveness that occurs when the mind inputs sensations and may output behavior
full consciousness
consciousness in which you know and are able to report your mental state
self consciousness
a distinct level of consciousness in which the person’s attention is drawn to the self as an object
coctail party phenomnon
a phenomenon in which people tune in one message even while they filter out others which are nearby
dichotic listening
a task in which people wearing headphone hear different messages presented to each ear.
mental control
the attempt to change conscious states of mind
though suppression
the conscious avoidance of a thought
rebound effect of thought suppression
the tendency of a thought to return to consciousness with greater frequency following suppression
ironic processes of mental control
mental processes that can produce ironic errors because monitoring for errors can itself produce them
dynamic unconscious
an active system encompassing a lifetime of encompassing memories the person’s deepest instinct and desires, and the person’s inner struggle to control these forces
repression
a mental process that removes unacceptable thoughts and memories from consciousness and keeps them in the unconsciousness
subliminal perception
thought or behavior that is influenced by stimuli that a person cannot consciously report receiving
altered state of consciousness
a form of experience that departs significantly from the normal subjective experience of the world and mind
circadian rhythm
a naturally occurring 24-hour cycle
REM sleep
a stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements and a high level of brain activity
Insomnia
difficulty in falling asleep of staying asleep
sleep apnea
a disorder in which a person stop breathing for brief periods while asleep
somnambulism (or sleepwalking)
occurs when a person arises and walks around while asleep
narcolepsy
a disorder in which sleep attacks occur in the middle of waking activity
sleep paralysis
the experience of waking up unable to move
night terrors/sleep terrors
abrupt awakenings with panic and intense emotional arousal
activation-synthesis model
the theory that dreams are produced when the brain attempts to make sense of random neural activity that occurs during sleep
psychoactive drugs
chemicals that influence consciousness or behavior by altering the brain’s chemical messaging system
drug tolerance
the tendency for larger doses of a drug to be required over time to achieve the same affect
depressants
substances that reduce the activity of the central nervous system
expectancy theory
alcohol effects can be produced by people’s expectations about how alcohol will influence them in a particular situation
alcohol myopia
a condition that results when alcohol hampers attention leading people to respond in simple ways to complex situations
stimulants
substances that excite the central nervous system, heightening arousal and activity levels
narcotics/opiates
highly addictive drugs derived from opium tha relieve pain
hallucinogens
drugs that alter sensation and perception and often cause visual and auditory hallucinations
marijuana/cannabis
the leaves and buds of the hemp plant which contain a psychoactive drug called THC
gateway drug
a drug whose use increases the risk of the subsequent use of more harmful drugs
hypnosis
a social interaction in which one person (a hypnotist) makes suggestions that lead to a change in another person’s (subject) subjective experience of the world
post-hypnotic amnesia
the failure to retrieve memories following hypnotic suggestions to forget
hypnotic analgesia
the reduction of pain through hypnosis in people who are susceptible to hypnosis
