Consciousness Flashcards
What types of beliefs are relevant to neuropsychiatry?
Delusional believe (psychosis)
Negative beliefs about self (depression)
‘Getting stuck’ (depression, autism)
Beliefs about causes of illness, treatments, cures
Expectations (functional disorders)
Cultural expressions of mental disorders
Scientific controversies
What is a belief?
Any idea the brain accepts as true
What are the two aspects of belief?
A reasoned component - evidence
An intuitive component - how it feels
Consistent with the dual process theories of cognition
How does belief manifest in the brain?
It is the default state
Belief involved the VMPFC, gyrus rectus, and orbitomedial gyrus
How does disbelief manifest in the brain?
It is a distinct mental state from belief and necessitated overriding the belief state
Disbelief involves the inferior frontal gyrus, insula, anterior cingulate and parietal lobe
How does uncertainty differ from the certainty of belief or disbelief?
A different state in the brain
Separate from accepting as true and rejecting as false
Not actionable
What differential mechanisms exist based on belief type?
Religious vs factual
Testable vs non testable
Political vs non political
What is cognitive dissonance?
State of discomfort or distress when believes are challenged
Particularly believe about ourselves as good, kind, competent
What areas of the brain are involved in cognitive dissonance?
Negative arousal (anterior insula)
Conflict monitoring (anterior cingulate)
How does brain state correlate with individual differences in belief?
Higher activation in negative arousal areas correlate with difference in
Ability to disagree
Ability to change your mind
How does dissonance reduction and resolution look in the brain?
Reduced activity in anterior insula and amygdala (threat/fear)
Increased activity in the ventral striatum (reward)
