Consciousness Flashcards
What is consciousness?
Our AWARENESS of our external world and internal world. The inner experience.
What are the properties and components of consciousness?
Its limited and selective; can focus on past or future, and involves arousal and awareness.
What are the hard and easy questions that the science of consciousness needs to answer? How can these be studied?
First Person date (HARD PROBLEM) and Third Person (EASY PROBLEM) behavioral and brain processes
Where does consciousness come from?
No single part alone.
Crucial ones:
-Brainstem (arousal)
-Thalamus (attention and awareness)
-Frontal and Parietal Lobe
What is a vegetative state?
A person shows no signs of awareness
What were the results of Owen 2006?
When asked to imagine playing tennis, patient activated predicted cortical areas in a manner indistinguishable. (Same brain parts lit up.)
What is Blindsight?
The ability of people who are cortically blind who do not consciously see. Their behavior says otherwise.
What is the left hemisphere responsible for?
Language Functions
What is the right hemisphere responsible for?
visuospatial functions (cognitive functions)
What is sleep?
total suspension of consciousness, voluntary movement
What is REM sleep?
3-4 stage sleep, and “rapid eye movement”, restorative state
What do depressants do?
Decrease activity in the nervous system
(alcohol)
Stimulants?
excite neural activity and speed up bodily functions
cocaine and (safer, coffee)
