Stages of consciousness Flashcards
What is the difference between conscious content and states of consciousness?
CC - the subjective experience of your internal and external world. Thinking, aware of, perceptions make us,
- etc. knowing we like a song.
SC - the different levels of arousal and attention an individual can experience.
- awareness, alertness
What is the left and right side of the brain responsible for and why is it important that they are connected?
L - language and detail
R - big picture and emotion
- split brain means that they can’t communicate, understanding deals with both sides
What is the difference between passive and active attention and examples?
PA - automatic - when attentional priorities are set by bottom-up information from the environment.
- etc. loud noise will pull our attention immediately (bottom up - senses to brain)
AA - takes all our attention - when attentional priorities are set by top-down goals of an individual (brain to senses)
- looking for keys
what is dualism?
the mind and body are fundamentally different entities, is a direct result of their experience
What is split brain and what was it used for?
surgery that cuts the connection between the two hemispheres
- to stop seizures (successful)
What is hemispheric specialization and how did split brain affect its communication?
HS - the two hemispheres in your brain (right and left) have different functions
- hemispheres are unable to share information and several regions associated with perception is isolated from parts of the brain involved in language
What is attention?
process of selecting information from the internal and external environments to prioritize for processing
what is selective attention?
attention that occurs when a person attends to some information while ignoring other information
What is stimulus salience(importance) (bottom up)?
some stimuli in the environment capture attention by virtue of their physical properties
- ex. low-level: bright light, loud noise
What is attentional capture?
occurs when attention is diverted because the salience of the stimulus
- will capture our attention of a little but not for long. Ex, bright red rose in the middle of a picture
How is top down processing related to attention?
As we develop expertise in a given area, we are better able to allocate attention to the more important features of the scene and ignore information that is less relevant
- Ex. Knowing where to look when watching sports
- Ex. Spotting the difference between 2 animals that look similar
What is the cocktail party effect?
situation associated with selective attention. At a party, a person can be engaged in a conversation and suppress/ignore all the information going on around them and attend to the conversation.
What is dichotic listening?
An attention task where one stream of information is presented to one ear, and a different message is played in the other ear. The participant is asked to attend to only one message. Later the participant is asked information about the unattended message.
What is divided attention?
When a person engages in two or more tasks at the same time
- Dividing attention means that there is a higher chance of making a mistake in one
- When we become so good at something, multitasking is easy. Ex walking and talking
What is automaticity and explain how it relates to talking and driving?
fast, effortless processing of information without conscious though.
- Automatic when performance is not impaired by other tasks
- Driving when talking on the phone impairs driving which means it is not an example of automaticity
What is inattentional blindness?
The tendency to miss changes to some kinds of information when your attention is engaged elsewhere.
- When asked to look for something, you are more likely to disregard everything else
What is the flicker task and explain how this effect change blindness?
A change attention task used to study intentional change detection and inattentional blindness.
- CB: when it is challenging to see the difference between things even though you still are looking for it
What is intentional change detection and how does it apply to the flicker test?
An attention task that requires the participant to actively search or a change made to the stimulus
- Used in flicker tasks and selective attention
- Some degree of processing is occurring but it is selective based on something that is seen as prioritized.
What is subliminal stimulus?
a sensory stimulus that is processed, but does not reach the threshold for conscious perception
What is the difference between subvisual ad subaudible messages?
SV - visual images that are presented too quickly for the brain to perceive in conscious awareness
- hidden messages in ad example
SA - auditory messages that are played too quietly or in such a way that the brain cannot be consciously aware of the content
- weight loss audio example
What is subconscious processing?
Occurs when we are aware of information from the environment that are not aware that it is influencing our behavior
- Liquor store and music example
Attention disorders - explain visual neglect?
Damage on the right parietal lobe lose awareness of stimulus on the left
- Ex drawing half a clock
- Still able to report some on the visually neglected stimuli. Ex. One half of house on fire, pick the house that is not on fire example
Attention disorder - explain ADHD - symptoms and treatments?
- Impulsivity, poor planning, hyperactivity and inability to sustain attention on a single task - this must impair the child’s ability to function
- Genetics can affect the expression of the symptoms
- Medication and CBT can be used to help manage the symptoms
What is fatal familial insomnia?
A rare, genetic disorder affecting the thalamus, that causes individuals to die from a lack of sleep
- Unable to fall asleep, effects homeostasis
What is the difference between electroencephalograms (EEG), electrooculograms, and electromyogram?
EEG - a device that measures the sum of electrical activation across the surface of the cortex
EC - movement of eyes when sleeping
EM - tension of muscles around the jaw when sleeping
What are the differences in waves?
- In the pattern of activity
- Amplitudes
- Frequency of wave
Explain slow waves.
regular
Explain the difference between the awake, relaxed, and transitional states in relation to waves?
A - beta waves (awake and in REM), irregular, low amplitude
R - alpha waves (relaxed), regular and predictable, medium frequency, also in transitional stage
T - when deeply relaxed/ falling asleep
Explain stage 1 of sleep?
Easily awaken and could report not even sleeping
Transition stage - explain what sleep spindles are?
brief bursts of activity that occur two to five times per minute during non-REM sleep.
- Help in memory consolidation
Higher spindle means high IQ score
Transitional stage - explain what k complexes are?
a pattern of neural excitation followed by neural inhibition occurring during stage 2 sleep
- Once a minute
- Triggered by noises
- If woken you would not have any sense of being asleep at all
stage 3 - 15-20 mins after stage 2: what is it and explain the difference between delta activity and slow-wave sleep?
DA: brain waves when deeply asleep. These waves occur during stages 3-4 (slow-wave sleep).
- Slow, regular, high amplitude waves
SWS - delta waves: a broader name for sleep occurring in stage 3-4
- Difficult to wake the person
What is REM and how does it affect the body and brain waves?
dreaming phases
- Desynchronized beta waves
- Brain is highly active - similar to when you are awake
- Body is paralyzed (REM sleep Antonia)
- Blood flow to the brain is reduced but visual cortex and prefrontal cortex receive large amounts of oxygenated blood
What is a hypnogram?
A depiction of a person’s progress through the stages of a person’s sleep over the course of a night
What is the importance of sleep?
- Sleep deprivation negatively impacts health and cognition, leading to irritability, confusion, and even hallucinations.
- helps with memory consolidation
What is the physical and cognitive hypothesis on why people need sleep?
- Physical Rest: Early theories suggested sleep allows the body to rest, but evidence shows minimal changes in sleep patterns during physical inactivity.
- Cognitive Rest: Sleep is more critical for brain function than for physical rest, as cognitive performance declines significantly with sleep deprivation.
what is the importance of slow wave sleep?
- brain restoration; physical performance is less affected by sleep deprivation than cognitive tasks.
- Metabolic rate and blood flow to the cortex decline during SWS, indicating brain rest.
What is the importance of REM sleep?
- A rebound effect occurs when REM sleep is deprived, suggesting its necessity.
- Increased REM duration is seen in periods of brain development, particularly in infants.
What is the difference between dreams in REM and not in REM?
REM: normal dreams
Non REM: nightmares
What is the Freud theory on sleep?
Proposed that consciousness is just a small part of our mental processes, with much behavior influenced by unconscious impulses.
What is the evolutionary perspective on dreams?
often related to survival; for instance, dreams about threats can enhance real-life performance in stressful situations.
What is parasomnia (2)?
Abnormal behaviors or experiences during sleep.
- REM sleep behavior disorders: acting out dream
- Slow wave sleep disorder: bedwetting, night terror, sleep walking
What are the 4 dyssomnias?
insomnia, conditioned insomnia, idiopathic insomnia, hypersomnia
Explain insomnia.
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- treatments: sleep hygiene
Explain conditioned insomnia .
anxiety about sleep leads to no sleep
Explain hypersomnia.
Excessive sleepiness; can be a symptom of various disorders.
- Poor sleep quality, often related to conditions like sleep apnea.
Explain narcolepsy.
A rare genetic disorder causing uncontrollable sleep attacks.
- Symptoms: sleep attacks, cataplexy (loss of muscle tone triggered by strong emotions), hallucinations
Explain sleep apnea.
Reduced oxygen intake during sleep, which can cause frequent awakenings.
- Health Risks: Linked to increased risk of dementia, diabetes, hypertension, and stroke.
Explain idiopathic insomnia.
childhood - hard to treat
What are psychoactive drugs?
- Substances that influence mood, thoughts, or behavior.
- Can have both beneficial (e.g., treatment for psychological disorders) and detrimental effects (e.g., addiction).
What are the 2 depressants and explain?
slows CNS activity
- alcohol: low doses induce relaxation; high doses cause impaired judgement and alcohol poisoning - effects glutamate (inhibits) and GABA (induces)
- Barbiturates and benzodiazepines: for anxiety and epilepsy - induces GABA activity - addiction and dangerous tolerance levels
What is addiction?
- Involves drug tolerance (increased doses needed for same effect) and dependence (physical or psychological need for the drug).
- Withdrawal symptoms can include headaches, shaking, and mood changes, complicating recovery.
What are the 3 hallucinogens and explain?
alters sensory perceptions
- LSD: causes vivid hallucinations and sensory blending - serotonin
- Mescaline: from peyote - enhances color perceptions and out-of-body experiences
- Cannabis - euphoria, relaxation and appetite increase - inhibits NE, ACh, glutamate and GABA, increases dopamine
What are the 3 stimulants and explain?
increases CNS activity
- caffeine: for energy and focus - blocks adenosine
- Nicotine: addictive - stimulates ACH and dopamine
- cocaine and amphetamines: increase dopamine - leads to euphoria and increases alertness but long term causes hallucinations/ paranoia
