Sleep: Consciousness

Question 1

Consciousness

Answer 1

our subjective awareness of ourselves & our environment
○ Helps us make sense of our life, set & achieve goals, focus on the present & future, focuses our attention when learning
something - but once learned, our consciousness can run on autopilot

Question 2

Cognitive neuroscience

Answer 2

interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (thinking, knowing, remembering, & communicating)
○ When thinking about kicking a soccer ball, fMRI scans can detect increased blood flow to the region that plans such as action
○ Has even been observed with unconscious patients
○ Brain scans can reveal what people are thinking about

Question 3

Dual processing

Answer 3

principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious & unconscious tracks - affects
our perceptions, memory, attitudes, & other cognitions
○ Once you learn to drive, some actions simply become unconscious (like straightening the car moving into another lane)

Question 4

Blindsight

Answer 4

condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

Question 5

Parallel processing

Answer 5

processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem at the same time
■ When looking at a bird, you need to process the color, form, movement, & distance simultaneously

Question 6

Sequential processing

Answer 6

processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time; generally used to process new
information or solve difficult problems
■ Rotating your right foot in a counterclockwise circle while also writing the number 3 with your right hand - hard to do
both at the same time