Consciousness

Question 1

Define phenomenal consciousness.

Answer 1

What it is like to experience something.

Question 2

Define access consciousness.

Answer 2

Being aware of something and able to report on that awareness or use it rationally.

Question 3

What is Cartesian dualism?

Answer 3

The very act of thinking about one’s existence is evidence of the presence of a mind distinct from the body.

Question 4

What is optic ataxia and how is it caused?

Answer 4

Patients grope around for an object as if they can’t see it but are able to describe it in detail.
Caused by lesions to the dorsal stream of vision.

Question 5

What is visual agnosia and how is it caused?

Answer 5

Patients can see but can’t recognise or categorise objects.
Caused by lesions to the ventral stream of vision.

Question 6

What is blindsight?

Answer 6

Patients cannot see their visual field but retain the ability to sense movement.

Question 7

What does aperceptive agnosia tell us about consciousness?

Answer 7

Object perception can be inaccessible to us.

Question 8

What does blindsight tell us about consciousness?

Answer 8

When object perception is lost, movement perception can remain.

Question 9

What does alien hand syndrome tell us about consciousness?

Answer 9

Brain output can be unconscious.

Question 10

What does complex partial seizures tell us about consciousness?

Answer 10

Loss of function in association areas and frontal regions may impair conscious experience.