Chapter 5 - Consciousness Flashcards
What is consciousness defined as in the textbook?
A person’s subjective experience of the world and the mind
Other descriptions and definitions of Consciousness
alertness: being awake vs being unconscious
mental content: thoughts & imaginings
self-awareness: the ability to think about self
free will: being able to make a conscious decision
What is the “hard problem” about consciousness
nothing we know about the laws of physics explains how consciousness is produced
Problem of other minds
fundamental difficulty we have in perceiving the consciousness of others
Why is consciousness hard to study?
you cannot observe another person’s conscious experience and introspection is unreliable
Phenomenology
how things seem to a conscious person
Why is consciousness less important than was initially believed?
consciousness was once considered to
“in charge” of the mind and the primary decision maker
If the consciousness is not in charge of the mind then what is?
Much, if not most, of our mental activity is unconscious (or subconscious)
Why for the return of consciousness?
this is largely due to the rise of cognitive neuroscience and the development of techniques that allow us to examine changes in brain activity associated with conscious and unconscious processing
Dualism
some people believe that consciousness does not arise from the body
Descartes proposed what?
that the conscious “soul” controlled the brain through the pineal gland
what does modern researchers feel about dualism?
they reject the separation.
- the mind is what the brain does
Is there evidence that the brain can process info even without consciousness
examples of someone in a coma has similar brain activity when given instructions as someone who is conscious
default network
fMRI research has shown there is a widespread pattern of brain activation that is engaged when a person is conscious
when does default network occur?
- not engaging in any task
- engaged in a well practice task that requires little effort
- is associated with daydreaming
Freud’s Dynamic unconscious
active system encompassing a lifetime of hidden memories, darkest desires and a person’s inner struggle to control these forces
Repression
mental process that removes unacceptable thoughts and memories from consciousness
Freudian slip
speech errors, that supposedly reveal unconscious thoughts
Cognitive unconscious
Mental processes that give rise to a person’s thoughts, choices, and emotions, and behavior even though they are not experienced by the person (gut feeling)
Consciousness vs unconscious decisions
unconscious decisions tend to have better results than thought-through conscious ones
Basic properties of consciousness
- intentionality
- unity
- selectivity
- transience
Intentionality
being directed toward an object
- is always about something
Unity
integration of senses and thoughts
- we have one conscious
Selectivity
capacity to include some objects but not others (attention)
-consciousness is limited in capacity
Transience
tendency to change
- has been compared to a flowing river
Levels of consciousness
- Minimal consciousness
- Full consciousness
- Self-consciousness
Minimal consciousness
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
distinct level of consciousness in which the person’s attention is drawn to the self as an object
Are all animals capable of self awareness
no, the mirror test is an example where a dog does not recognize the reflection in the mirror is itself and barks thinking its another dog
Circadian Rhythm
Sleep is part of our natural circadian rhythm. the daily cycle is controlled by one of our bodies “biological clocks” located in the suprachaismatic nucleus
Suprachaismatic Nucleus
is connected to the eye and is affected by the brightness of light
How does the suprachaismatic nucleus impacted by light
This nucleus affects alertness and sleep by causing the pineal gland to decrease melatonin production in the morning and increase production in the evening
During our 24 hour circadian rhythm there are many changes in our physical and mental states:
- body temp: decreases before sleep
- arousal/energy: a minimum before sleep & midday
- changes in mental sharpness
peak alertness in evening (owls)
20 year old’s
peak alertness in the morning (morning birds)
50 year old’s
Amount of sleep needed by newborns
16 hours/day
amount of sleep needed by kids
12 hours/day
amount of sleep needed by young adults
7.5 hours/day
amount of sleep needed by the elderly
6 hours/day
Brain activity is measured by
EEG
We monitor brain and body activity during sleep
we measure muscle activity, body temp and eye movements
Sleep stages
there are distinct patterns of brain waves and muscle activity that are associated with different types of consciousness and sleep
The sleep cycle
refers to the patterns of shifting through all the sleep stages over the course of one night (we cycle through all of the stages in about 90 mins on average)
Beta Waves
brain activity slows down from generating (12 hz)
Alpha Waves
a large amplitude and slow , regular (10 hz)
Falling asleep - stage 1
- breathing slows down
- you may have hypnagogic hallucinations
- brain waves change from alpha waves to NREM-1 (4.7 hz)
NREM Sleep stages
Non-rem, as time passes the brain progresses into deeper stages of sleep, (3 hz)
REM Sleep
After reaching the deepest stage of sleep the brain suddenly becomes more active
- most dreams take place during REM sleep
During REM sleep
- heart rate rises and breathing becomes rapid
- sleep paralysis occurs
- genitals are aroused (w/o content of the dream)
Sleep paralysis
occurs when the brain-stem blocks the motor cortex’s messages and the muscles don’t move
Paradoxical sleep
also known as REM - brain is still active but the body is immobile
The longer you remain asleep -
the longer REM cycles become and less time is spent in deep sleep
Sleep deprivation
- fatigue
- impaired concentration
- memory impairment
- emotional irritability
- depressed immune system
- greater vulnerability to depression
Fat cells during sleep deprivation
increased production and greater risk of obesity
Joints during sleep deprivation
increased inflammation and arthritis
Muscles during sleep deprivation
reduced strength, slower reaction time and motor learning
Stomach during sleep deprivation
increased hunger-arousing ghrelin and decreased hunger-suppressing leptin
Sleep Hygiene
Sleep health-
- turn lights low and all screens off
- eat earlier and drink less alcohol and caffeine
- exercise
- don’t check the clock (avoid pressure to sleep)
- get help for anxiety or depression
Insomnia
persistent difficulty in failing or staying asleep
causes of insomnia
- depression, anxiety or stress
- irregular sleep schedules
Narcolepsy
sudden sleep attacks during waking activity
- may collapse into REM sleep
- can occur at any time
- sleep may last 30 secs to 30 mins
Sleep Apnea
w/o breath:
repeated awakening after breathing stops; time in bed is not restorative sleep
Effects with sleep apnea
sufferer is often unaware of the frequent awakenings
- age and weight play a factor
- severe health hazard
Night terrors
the sudden arousal from deep sleep with intense fear accompanied by psychological reactions (sweating, rapid heart rate)
- mostly affects children
Sleepwalking and sleeptalking
A deep sleep disorder which is usually harmless and unrecalled the next day
- mostly affects children
Dreaming can be distinguished from waking consciousness in several ways
- Illogical thought and uncritical acceptance
- meaningful sensation
- intense emotion
- difficulty remembering
Illogical thought and uncritical acceptance
sudden and impossible changes are readily accepted during dreams
Meaningful sensation
perpetual experiences during dreams are realistic. vision and auditory senses dominate
Intense emotion
the full range of emotion is experienced
What we dream about - negative emotional content:
8/10 dreams have some negative emotional content
What we dream about - failure dreams
people commonly dream about failure, being attacked, pursued, rejected or bad luck
What we dream about - sexual dreams
contrary to our thinking ; 1/10 in mend and 1/30 in women
What we dream about - recent events
elements of events that occurred recently, especially new or unusual events
What we dream about - sensory experience
incorporate some salient ongoing stimuli
e.g if the phone rings you may also dream it
Freud’s wish fulfillment
Sigmund Freud suggested that dreams provide a psychic safety valve to discharge unacceptable feelings
Manifest
apparent content
Latent content
symbolic meanings that signify to our unacceptable feelings
What is wrong with Freud’s theories with wish fulfillment
- lacks scientific support
- easy to make up stories to explain someone’s dreams
Across cultures a majority of people agreed with who’s theory?
Freudian theory that dreams come from something deep and relevant
Activation-synthesis theory
REM sleep involves the stimulation of random activities in the cortex (sights, sounds, emotions, memories) by subcortical structures
Why we need to dream
when deprived of REM sleep and then allowed to sleep, we showed increased REM sleep called REM rebound
Psychoactive drugs
are chemicals that, when introduced into the body alter conscious experience and affect behavior
- act as neurotransmitter agonists or antagonists
Are psychoactive drugs harmful?
Yes, physically and physiologically
Physical dependence
the body has been altered in ways that create cravings for the drug
Psychological dependence
a person feels a strong desire to use the drug even in the absence of physical dependency
Widthdrawl
negative physiological and psychological consequences to the absence of a drug to which there is a dependency
Addiction
is a compulsive craving for a chemical substance, despite its adverse consequences
Addiction symptoms
- tolerance
- withdrawal
- using more than intended
- persistent, failed attempt to regulate use
- much time spent preoccupied with the substance
- important activities reduced bc of use
- continued despite consequences
Do addictive drugs always quickly produce addiction?
no, only 10 - 16% of people who try illegal drugs
Depressants
- Alcohol
- Barbiturates
- Opiates (narcotics)
Alcohol
- slow neural processing
- reduced memory formation
- alcohol myopia
- impaired self-control
Effects of alcohol - slow neural processing
reduced sympathetic nervous system activity, and slower thought and physical reactions
Effects of alcohol - reduced memory formation
caused by disrupted REM sleep and reduced synapse formation
Effects of alcohol - alcohol myopia
alcohol hampers attention leading people to respond in simple ways to complex situations
Effects of alcohol - impaired self-control
impaired judgement, self-monitoring, and inhibition; increased accidents and aggression
Alcohol - Expectancy Theory
alcohol effects can be produced by people’s expectations of how alcohol will influence them in particular situations (placebo)
Barbiturates
are tranquilizers - drugs that depress central nervous system activity
Barbiturates effects
reducing anxiety and inducing sleep
Barbiturates problems
- reducing memory, judgement and concentration
- addictive
- can lead to death if combined with alcohol
Opiates
are chemicals such as morphine and heroin that are made from the opium poppy
Opiates effects
- reduce anxiety & pain
- high doses produce euphoria
- work at receptor sites for the bodies natural pain reducers
Opiates problems
highly addictive: extreme withdrawal symptoms
Stimulants
are drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
Stimulants - physical effects
- dilated pupils
- increased breathing
- heart rate
- increased blood sugar
- decreased appetite
Examples of stimulants
- caffeine
- nicotine
- amphetamines, methamphetamine
- cocaine
- ecstasy
Caffeine effects
adds energy and increases alertness
Caffeine problems
disrupts sleep for 3-4 hours - withdrawal: headaches irritability fatigue difficulty concentrating depression
Nicotine
active ingredient in cigarettes
- mild stimulant
Effects of Nicotine
- arouses the brain to a state of alertness
- increases heart rate and blood pressure
- at high rates, relaxes muscles and triggers neurotransmitters that reduce stress
- reduces circulation to extremities
- mainly addiction
Why people start smoking
people usually start smoking because it is socially rewarding
Smoking withdrawal symptoms
- insomnia
- anxiety
- distractibility
- irritability
Cocaine effects
blocks re-uptake (increases levels at the synapse)
- dopamine (feels rewarding)
- serotonin (lifts mood)
- norepinephrine (provides energy)
- produces euphoria for 45 minutes at least
Cocaine after the high
- euphoria crashes into a state worse than before taking the drug
- agitation, depression and pain
Cocaine tolerance
withdrawal symptoms of cocaine use get worse , and users take more just to feel normal
Cocaine’s serious effects
cycles of overdose and withdrawal can sometimes bring convulsions, violence, heart attack and death
Methamphetamine
Triggers the sustained release of dopamine and is very addictive and very harmful
Meth - produces
euphoria and energy
Meth - after effects
- irritability
- insomnia
- seizures
- hypertension
- violence
- depression
Ecstasy/ MDMA
a synthetic stimulant that increases dopamine and greatly increases serotonin
Ecstasy effects
- euphoria
- CNS stimulation
- mild hallucinations
- artificial feeling of social connectedness
Ecstasy negative effects
dehydration
overheating
high blood pressure
Ecstasy: after the high
- can damaged serotonin-produced neurons
- cause long lasting depressed mood
- disrupted sleep and circadian rhythm
- impaired memory and slowed thinking
- suppressed immune system
Hallucinogens
are psychedelic (mind manifesting) drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
LSD
(lysergic acid diethylamide) is powerful hallucinogenic drug that is also known as acid
LSD effects
- interferes with serotonin transmission
- causes hallucinations
- experiences from euphoric to panic
- users harm themselves
- can have emotional consequences
THC
major active ingredient in marijuana that triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations
THC effects
- amplifies sensations
- disinhibits impulses
- euphoric mood
- impaired motor coordination, perceptual ability, and reaction time
- affects judgment and short term memory
- lack of ability to sense satiety
Satiety
feeling of being full
With repeated long-term use of THC
- THC accumulates in the body and increasing effects of next use
- brain shrinks overtime in areas of processing memory and emotion
- smoke inhalation damage
Influences on drug use
Biological factors
Psychological factors
Social influences
Influences on drug use - Biological factors
- dependence in relatives
- thrill-seeking in childhood
- genes related to alcohol sensitivity and dependence
- easily disrupted dopamine reward system
Influences on drug use - Psychological factors
- seeking gratifications
- depression
- problems forming identity
- problems assessing risks and costs
Influences on drug use - Social influences
- media glorification
- observing peers
- community and cultural influences
Drug prevention and treatment
- education about long-term costs
- efforts to boost people’s self-esteem and purpose
- attempts to modify peer associations and teaching refusal skills
Hypnosis
a social interaction in which one person (hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that changes in their subjective experiences will occur (perceptions, feelings, thoughts or behaviors)
Hypnosis state
heightened suggestibility
Altered state of consciousness
experience that departs from the normal subjective experience of the world and the mind
Hypnotic induction
the process by which a hypnotist leads someone into the state of heightened suggestibility
susceptibility
20% of people are highly hypnotizable
- those who are able to lose themselves in fantasy
Hypnotic effects
Alter perception (the headache is fading) Alter behavior (your arm might rise on its own) Alter emotion (you are feeling more relaxed) Alter or create memories (you got lost in the mall as a kid)
Hypnosis can be beneficial
- blocking awareness of pain
- reducing obesity, anxiety, and hypertension
- improving concentration and performance
Hypnosis can not
- work when people refuse to cooperate
- bestow powers
- accurately recall forgotten events (more likely to implant false recall)
