Lecture 11

Question 1

Cartesian theatre

Answer 1

A mental scene or stage on which things occur that can be viewed by the mind’s eye.

Question 2

Blindsight

Answer 2

Damage to the primary visual cortex produces an apparent blindness in the contra-lateral visual field.

• Patients can make correct guesses.

Question 3

Homunculus problem

Answer 3

Who is in control?
We have the illusion that there is an internal ‘self’ that sees, feels and controls our behaviour. But who is in change of that entity?

Question 4

Problem of other minds

Answer 4

We cannot really perceive the consciousness of others, so how do we know they have one?

Question 5

Mind-body problem

Answer 5

How is the mind related to the brain and body?

• Descartes’ ‘thinking matter’.

Question 6

Readiness Potentional (RP)

Answer 6

The increase in electrical activity before a conscious decision is made.

Question 7

4 basic properties of consciousness

Answer 7

1. Intentionality
2. Unity
3. Selectivity
4. Transiency

Question 8

Intentionality (consciousness)

Answer 8

Consciousness is about something that requires attention.

• Has content that needs attention.
• Many significant events can go unnoticed if unattended (i.e., change blindness).

Question 9

Unity (consciousness)

Answer 9

Only one object can be attended at a time.

• Dividing attention is difficult.

Question 10

Selectivity (consciousness)

Answer 10

Comes at the expense of other things that could enter the mind.

• Dichotic listening task

Question 11

Transiency (consciousness)

Answer 11

The content (focus of) our consciousness changes constantly.

Question 12

Minimal consciousness

Answer 12

A low level of awareness when sensations enter the mind which may (not) result in behaviour.

Question 13

Full consciousness
Mental state

Answer 13

You know your mental state and are able to report it (involves thinking about the fact you are thinking).

Question 14

Self-consciousness

Answer 14

Attention is drawn towards self as an object.

Question 15

Visual self-recognition

Answer 15

• When looking in a mirror
• May be a special case of being conscious of oneself.

Question 16

Selective attention

Answer 16

Attention is focused on one/a limited range of aspects.

Question 17

Perceptual load theory

Answer 17

Early selection occurs when the perceptual load of target selection is high
Late selection occurs when the perceptual load of target selection is low.

Question 18

Shifting attention

Answer 18

Attention has a spatial component that allows for better/faster processing of stimuli at the attended location.

Question 19

Endogenous cues

Answer 19

Spatial attention shifted by an ‘instruction’.

• An arrow points towards the probable location of a target.
• Slow shift

Question 20

Exogenous cues

Answer 20

Spatial attention shifted by automatically drawing attention.

• Sudden flash or sound from a location of our the fovea.
• Fast shift.

Question 21

Feature integration theory of attention
‘Glue’

Answer 21

Focused attention is required to bind separate features of an object like colour, form, or motion together.
Attention then acts as the glue that binds the features.

Question 22

Unilateral visual neglect

Answer 22

Stimuli that appear on the opposite side of space relative to the site of hemispheric lesions are not attended/noticed.

• Patients often have right parietal damage

Question 23

Extinction (attention)

Answer 23

The patient receives a single object in the left and right side of the brain, but if these occur simultaneously, only one is perceived.

Question 24

Balint’s syndrome + three issues

Answer 24

Bilateral posterior parietal lesions at the same [mirrored] locations.

• Simultanagnosia
• Optic ataxia
• Psychic paralysis of gaze

Question 25

Simultanagnosia

Answer 25

Patient can only ‘see’ one object at a time in a particular location.

Question 26

Optic ataxia

Answer 26

Patient can see and identify object, but cannot accurately reach for it.

Question 27

Psychic paralysis of gaze

Answer 27

Patient cannot remain fixated on an object, fixation wanders involuntarily.