Chapter 5: Consciousness

Question 1

What are the two dimensions of mind perception?

Answer 1

• Capacity for experience: ability to feel pain, pleasure, hunger etc.
• Capacity for agency: ability for self-control, planning, memory, etc.

Question 2

What are the four basic properties of consciousness?

Answer 2

• Intentionality: being directed toward an object
• Unity: integrating sensory information to form a whole
• Transience: tendency to change
• Selectivity: Capacity to include some objects but not others

Question 3

Why can’t we always control our conscious thoughts?

Answer 3

Ironic processes of mental control: trying to reduce errors can lead to more errors.

Question 4

Compare Freud’s conception of the unconscious with the modern view.

Answer 4

• Freudian unconscious: Dynamic unconscious - inappropriate thoughts
• Modern unconscious: All mental processes that give rise to thoughts, choices, emotions and behaviours even though they are not experienced.

Question 5

What is the dual-process perspective?

Answer 5

• We have two different brain systems for processing information
• One dedicated to fast, automatic and unconscious processing
• The other for slow, effortful and conscious processing.

Question 6

Describe the stages of sleep.

Answer 6

• Stage 1: Theta waves (drowsiness)
• Stage 2: sleep spindles, K complexes
• Stage 3: Delta waves (sleep/dreaming)
• Stage 4: Delta waves (sleep/dreaming)
• REM Sleep: fast, random, rapid eye movement.

Question 7

What are the types of sleep disorders?

Answer 7

• Insomnia: difficulty in falling or staying asleep
• Sleep apnea: breathing stops for brief periods while asleep
• Sleep paralysis: experience of waking up unable to move
• Night terrors: sudden awakenings with panic and intense emotional arousal
• Somnambulism: sleep walking with eyes open

Question 8

What are the two leading theories of why we dream?

Answer 8

• Freud’s view: dreams hold meaning

- Activation-synthesis model: dreams begin randomly, and then meaning can be added.

Question 9

What are the different categories of psychoactive drugs and their effects on the body:

Answer 9

• Depressants: reduce CNS activity
• Stimulants: excite the CNS
• Narcotics: relieve pain
• Hallucinogens: alter sensation and perception