Chapter 6 (final) Flashcards
what is the split brain phenomenon
Once this is done, the two hemispheres are unable to share information across the cortex and several regions associated with perception are isolated from parts of the brain involved in language.
it is basically 2 separate…. things living in the same head but only one can talk and the other one is muted and can only express the feelings through actions
Psychologists discuss two components of conscious experience what are they
conscious content
states of consciousness
what is conscious content
which can be defined as the subjective experiences of your internal and external world. Your “sense-of-self” resides in your conscious content, as do your plans, dreams, and day-to-day perception of space and time
what is states of consciousness
refers to different levels of arousal and attention. Interestingly, your experience of a particular state of consciousness is based on several unconscious and involuntary processes
what is Attention
is the process of selecting information from the internal and external environments to prioritize for processing.
what is passive attention
prioritized when bottom-up information from the external environment requires a response. For instance, when you hear a loud noise in a quiet room, it is very probable that you will immediately stop what you are doing and attend to the source of the noise
what is Active attention,
by contrast, is when attention is directed by goals and top-down processing. When you search a cluttered table for your keys, you are using active attention
what is Selective attention
occurs when you attend to one source of information while simultaneously ignoring other stimuli
Some features of the environment are necessarily more important and relevant than others and some elements are simply more noticeable based on their qualities. For instance, we are more likely to attend to a bright light in a dim scene or a loud noise in a quiet room
e.g listening to one conversation In a loud room
what is stimulus salience
refers to the bottom-up qualities of a scene that influence how we direct attention. The color or brightness of an object or the loudness of a sound are low level features that may direct your attention, at least initially
what is the cocktail party effect
Many people have had the experience of being in a loud room and hearing their name yelled out and turning to find the source. This so-called cocktail party effect illustrates yet another piece of the puzzle of selective attention. Even when some information is not part of conscious awareness, this does not mean it is not being processed.
what is dichotic listening task
data from experiments on dichotic listening suggest that the process is not as simple as the brain just “blocking out” the information it doesn’t want. A second component of the dichotic listening task is that specific kinds of unattended information are processed and can later be recalled
what is Divided attention
or multitasking, is when we simultaneously attend to two (or more) tasks at the same time—for instance, talking with a friend in the car about your class while driving.
what is inattentional blindness
This occurs when we are engaged in one task and completely miss other information
what is subliminal stimulus
is a sensory stimulus that is processed, but does not reach the threshold for conscious perception
what is Subconscious processing
is information we are aware of, but not necessarily aware that it is influencing our behavior
what is Subliminal processing
Subliminal processing by contrast is information we cannot consciously detect, even if we were looking for it. These types of messages include subvisual messages or messages that are presented too quickly for the visual system to perceive. Similarly, subaudible messages are played at a low volume, typically with a louder message played over it
Melinda is waiting in line at the grocery store and sees a magazine ad for subliminal tapes that can help with weight loss. Based on what you know about the effectiveness of subliminal messaging, what should you advise Melinda to do?
Put the magazine down and pay for the groceries because subliminal messages don’t work particularly well
what are Electroencephalograms (EEGs) used for
measure activity across the surface of the brain
what are electrooculograms used for
are used to measure the movements of the eye as you sleep
what are electromyograms used for
used to measure tension of the muscles of the jaw.
While you are awake, there are two distinct, observable patterns to your brain activity what are they
The first brain wave pattern occurs when you are alert and engaged in events occurring around you. These beta waves are irregular, mostly low amplitude, waves that occur with a frequency of 13-30 Hz. The waves during beta are desynchronized and erratic. This desynchrony reflects the fact that many different neural circuits in the brain are actively processing information
what is The second pattern that we observe while you are awake is
alpha activity.
As you begin to transition from a relaxed state to the early stages of sleep, your brain activity reflects this and transitions from alpha waves to what
theta activity
what is alpha activity
This brain pattern is observed when an individual is awake but relaxed
what is theta activity
While in stage 1 sleep, you begin to move from a state of relaxation to early sleep and the firing rate across the cortex becomes more synchronized. Stage 1 is a very light stage of sleep; if startled or awoken, most people report that they were not even sleeping.
The transition from stage 1 into stage 2 is best identified by the appearance of what
sleep spindles and K complexes
what are seep spindles
are brief bursts of activity (12-14 Hz) that occur roughly 2-5 times a minute during stages 1-4 sleep
Current work on dreams generally takes one of two perspectives what are they
The first is that the experience of dreaming really has no explicit or reliable meaning; rather, it is a consequence of the other processes that occur across the cortex during sleep
This model does account for the seemingly disorganized and bizarre occurrence of events we experience when we sleep—it doesn’t mean anything, and it is just the result of the brain as it sleeps. The processes of the higher brain try and interpret this disorganized lower brain activity and attribute meaning to it
or
The second perspective suggests that dreams do seem to have some meaning and perhaps an evolutionary purpose. One model suggests that the content of dreams have biological significance. In this evolutionary hypothesis of dreams
what is the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)
It is also possible to chemically regulate the clock. Light signals from the eye split in the center of the brain at the optic chiasm. Directly above the chiasm is the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN). This structure is the location of your body’s “time keeper”. This structure sends signals to several regions of the brain, among them the pineal gland. In response to the light/dark cycle, the pineal gland secretes melatonin
There are two broad categories of sleep disorders what are they
dissomnias
Parasomnias
what are dissomnias
refer to problems with the quality of sleep
what are Parasomnias
are disturbances that occur during sleep
what is Insomnia
under the dissomnias category
sufferers “can’t turn their brain off”
what is hypersomnia
under the dissomnias category
excessive sleepiness
what is Narcolepsy
under the dissomnias category
rare genetic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by several symptoms, most notably a sudden and extreme need to sleep. These sleep attacks are uncontrollable and can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Upon waking, most people report that they feel alert and refreshed
what is cataplexy
A second symptom of narcolepsy is known as cataplexy. During a cataplectic attack, scientists think that the paralysis typically experienced during REM sleep initiates at inappropriate times
what is REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
under the parasomnias category
act out the contents of their dreams. In many ways, the symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder are the opposite of cataplexy. Rather than exhibiting paralysis outside of REM, these individuals move in response to the content of one’s dreams during REM.
Another term for “childhood onset insomnia” is
idiopathic insomnia
what do depressants do
Generally, depressants slow or depress the arousal of the central nervous system
Alcohol influences a number of neurotransmitters such as
Glutamate is one of the primary excitatory neurotransmitters in the nervous system, and alcohol consumption inhibits the effectiveness of glutamate, especially in the hippocampus—an area associated with learning and memory
Alcohol also increases the effectiveness of GABA. You may remember from Chapter 3 that GABA is one of the main neurotransmitters implicated in relaxed states. The relaxing effects of alcohol are most easily attributed to its effects on these two neurotransmitters; however, consumption of alcohol also increases the dopaminergic system. Dopamine is often implicated in reward states in the brain, many drugs are reinforcing because of their effects on the production of dopamine
what are barbiturates and benzodiazepine
A second group of depressants
what are barbiturates and benzodiazepine used for
Both drugs have been prescribed to treat a variety of psychological disorders such as anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and epilepsy. They create a subjective sense of relaxation, most probably because they also act on the amount of GABA in the brain. In large doses, concentration becomes quite difficult and speech can become slurred. Barbiturates in particular can be quite addictive; with continued use, the body’s metabolism slows and patients develop a tolerance for the drug. Thus, the dosage must be increased to have the same effect; however, the lethal dose of barbiturates does not change, which makes continued use dangerous and potentially fatal. Due to the dangers of barbiturates, benzodiazepines (also known as anxiolytics) are more frequently prescribed; this class of drug includes Xanax, Valium, and Clonazepam
what are stmulants
drugs that increase the activity of the nervous system
what are Common stimulants
caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, and amphetamines
Hallucinogens, also known as
psychedelic drugs
what do psychedelic drugs do
directly influence the sensory systems and our interpretation of reality. As a group, these drugs cause distortions in our sense of time and space. Many users report incidences of synesthesia
what is synesthesia
an experience where the senses seem to blend
what is Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
a synthetic drug that causes altered emotions and a sense of being in a “waking dream.” Most notably, LSD causes vivid sensory hallucinations, alterations in perceptions of time and space, and a blurring of perceptions between the senses; for instance, music may create sensations of colors. The drug itself acts as an agonist of serotonin, specifically serotonin receptors in the thalamus
what is Mescaline
derived from the peyote cactus. It is most commonly associated with use in religious ceremonies in Native American culture. Although the effects of mescaline are similar to those of LSD, there are some effects that are unique to this drug. Color perception feels enhanced, repeating patterns appear in the visual field, and people often report that they feel out of their body. Other commonly reported effects are numbness, tension, anxiety, and intense nausea
