Chapter 5, Consciousness Flashcards
What is consciousness
Moment to moment awareness of ourselves and environment
Problem of other minds
Fundamental difficulty we have in perceiving the consciousness of others
Ways to try to define inner states?
Self-reports - direct but not verifiable
Physiological - objective but can’t indicate subjective
Behavioral- need to infer state of mind
Rouge test
Seeing if someone can recognize themself in a mirror
Timing of Concuous Will
Libet’s experiment, individuals moving fingure while watching a dot move to make when the action was consciously willed
3 levels of psychodynamic view
Conscious- Mental events we are currently aware of (reading this text)
Preconscious- outside current awareness, easily recalled (dinner last night)
Unconscious- Mot brought to awareness usually (trauma)
Controlled vs Automatic Processing
Controlled - Takes effort, new or difficult tasks (learning to read)
Automatic- Autopilot, little effort (reading when you know how to read)
Unconscious things that influence emotions
Events we’re unaware of (classical conditioning)
Moods can be affected by positive or negative words
Modular mind
Mind consists of separate info processing modules that work together
-sensation, perception, memory, problem solving, emotion
24 biological clock
Circadian Rhythm
90 minute sleep cycle
“BRAC”
What changes during the circadian rhythm
Body temperature
Arousal/energy
Mental sharpness
Circadian rhythm regulated by…
Suprachiasmic nuclei (SCN)
SCN stands for…
Suprachiasmic nuclei
SCN during day and during night
Day- Inhibits melatonin secretion, raises body temperature and alertness
Night- Allows melatonin
Disruptions to circadian rhythm
Jet lag, shift work (night shift), daylight savings, Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD)
About BRAC cycle
Sleep cycle
Cycle through about every 90 min
Stages of sleep: Awake
Beta waves (15-30)
Stages of sleep: Relaxed and drowsy
Alpha waves (8-12 cps)
Stages of sleep: Stage 1
Light sleep
Lasts a few minutes
Theta waves (3.5-7.5 cps)
Stages of sleep: Stage 2
Sleep spindles (burst of Braun activity, 1-2 sec) and K-complexs
Stages of sleep: Stage 3
(0.5-2 cps)
Stages of sleep: Stage 4
Delta waves are dominant
Sleep stages 3 and 4 are called
“Slow-wave sleep”
Sleep patterns
Stage 1 down to stage 4, then climb back up but REM instead of stage one, repeat but don’t dip down as far, REM gets longer as the night progresses
REM brain activity
Regulated by brainstem
Limbic system activity increases
Areas near visual cortex active
Motor cortex active but signals blocked.
Decreased prefrontal activity
Sleep - Restoration Model and evidence
Sleep recharges us from mental and physical fatigue
Sleep about 10min longer after exercise.
Adenosine (cell waste) may decrease alertness
Sleep - Evolutionary/circadian model
Sleep is adaptive, increases survival
Mechanism for conserving energy
Sleep disorder- Insomnia
Trouble falling/staying asleep
Most common sleep disorder
Causes are biological, psychological, environmental. Treatment includes stimuli control
Sleep disorder- Pseudoinsomniacs
People complain about insomnia bur actually sleep normally
Sleep disorder- Narcolepsy
Daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks
Genetic?
Sleep disorder- REM-Sleep Behavior Disorder
No sleep paralysis, “act out” dreams.
Sleep disorder- Sleep Apnea
Breathing stops and starts while sleeping.
Usually caused by obstruction of upper airway
Sleep disorder- Sleepwalking
Happens usually stage 3 or 4
Causes include stress, alcohol, hereditary, stress, meds
Psychotherapy and drugs can help treat
3 theories of why we dream
Activation-Synthesis Theory - Brain tries to interpret (Synthesis) random brain activity (Activation)
Problem-Solving model- Helps us find solution to our problems
Cognitive-process dream theories - Dreams are just thoughts and come from the same part of the brain
Four basic properties of consciousness
Intentionality (brain focuses on not too much at a time)
Unity (lots of info made into one consciousness)
Selectivity
Transience (the tendency to change)
Minimal consciousness
Low sensory awareness. Mind can input sensation and can output behavior
Rolling over in sleep when uncomfortable
Full consciousness
Know and can report menta state
Self consciousness
Someone’s attention can be put on the self as an object (often when embarrassed)
Cognitive unconscious
All three mental processes that lead to a person’s thoughts and choices but aren’t experienced by the person
Dual-process theories
Mind has two systems. One for fast/unconscious processing (top down processing)
And one for effortful processing (bottom up processing)
