Quiz 2 (lesson 8) Flashcards
What is stored in the basal ganglia?
What we do. How your mind remembers how to do math, hit a ball and buy tickets is all stored in the basal ganglia
What is the habit system?
Habitual actions that are not sensitive to reward(Ex. driving home when you needed to see the doctor). habits are built through repetition or conditioning and are not goal based. 40% of what we do is habit
What is cognitive control?
The process by which goals or plans influence behaviour. There are three main faculties: attention, working memory and goal management. Peaks in humans in the 20s, older people are worse at ignoring distractions. Also impaired by:Sleep deprivation, older age, stress and intoxication
What are reflex and automatic actions?
Some actions can be done automatically, that is without cognitive control. Ex. Walking, chewing. Other actions can be done automatically because they are learned. Ex. Tying shoes, driving. It’s easier to multitask while doing these actions as opposed to other actions
What is the reward system?
Tries to get you to do things that make you feel better and avoid things that make you feel worse. Helps form habits, trying to optimize good feelings. Has the wanting system and the liking system. Compare the compulsion to check your phone vs a genuine expectation of pleasure to talk to someone(wanting vs liking)
What is the liking system?
System that makes you want to do the things you like. Liking / Pleasure: Opioid system(and some others). Opiod drug gives you pleasure and short circuits the brain. Hugging someone makes brain give pleasure normally
What is the wanting system?
System that makes you want to do the things you want. Wanting / Compulsion / Motivation system: Dopamine system. Not always pleasurable(Think of picking a scab or addictive behaviors. Ex. You keep eating after you stop enjoying it). This is different from cortical wanting which is goal driven(Immediate urge to eat vs urge to graduate)
What is the mind wandering system?
Default mode network. Makes you think of things irrelevant to your current environment. Could be good things such as long term goals or bad things such as anxious thoughts. Has an activation trade off with cognitive system
What are habits triggered by?
“Habits are triggered by a perceived situation
H: Humans you’re around
A: Activity
B: Bearings(where you are)
I: Internal states(ex. hunger)
T: Time of day
“
When is it the easiest time to change habits?
“It’s easier to change habits when your life changes(ex. Going to university, breaking up or moving) because triggers change
Use willpower until habits are set”
What is the distraction cycle?
“Boredom drived more frequent task switching
> Leads to rapid, unpredictable rewards
> You then get more easily bored
Your mind is optimizing something that is not productivity”
What is information foraging?
“We are hungry for information
We stay at one “information source” until we feel we aren’t getting much information from it
(We can feel this in a conversation)
Beware of “infinite scrolling” apps since they have endless information”
What drives us to new sources?
“Boredom and anxiety drive us to new sources
- Boredom without current source
- Anxiety about what we’re missing out on in another source
Smartphones allow many sources all in one place, with low cost to switch to a new one”
How can you improve cognitive control in the moment?
“Turn off notifications. Not just sound
“May I slow down your progress towards your goals so I can make money”
Hide apps that alert you but putting them deep in folders on page 2
Power off your phone when you want to do deep work
“
How can you improve cognitive control in general?
“Meditation(maybe)
Exercise
Especially cognitive exercise(tennis not running)
Knowledge of how your mind works
Get enough sleep
Installing the right values
Practicing willpower use
Self-forgiveness
The six second rule(made up by teacher, if you need to do something start it in at least 6 seconds)
Makes you do it before your mind talks you into doing something else
“
