Stages of consciousness Flashcards

1
Q

What is the difference between conscious content and states of consciousness?

A

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

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2
Q

What is the left and right side of the brain responsible for and why is it important that they are connected?

A

L - language and detail
R - big picture and emotion
- split brain means that they can’t communicate, understanding deals with both sides

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3
Q

What is the difference between passive and active attention and examples?

A

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

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4
Q

what is dualism?

A

the mind and body are fundamentally different entities, is a direct result of their experience

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5
Q

What is split brain and what was it used for?

A

surgery that cuts the connection between the two hemispheres
- to stop seizures (successful)

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6
Q

What is hemispheric specialization and how did split brain affect its communication?

A

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

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7
Q

What is attention?

A

process of selecting information from the internal and external environments to prioritize for processing

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8
Q

what is selective attention?

A

attention that occurs when a person attends to some information while ignoring other information

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9
Q

What is stimulus salience(importance) (bottom up)?

A

some stimuli in the environment capture attention by virtue of their physical properties
- ex. low-level: bright light, loud noise

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10
Q

What is attentional capture?

A

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

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11
Q

How is top down processing related to attention?

A

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

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12
Q

What is the cocktail party effect?

A

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.

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13
Q

What is dichotic listening?

A

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.

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14
Q

What is divided attention?

A

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

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15
Q

What is automaticity and explain how it relates to talking and driving?

A

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

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16
Q

What is inattentional blindness?

A

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

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17
Q

What is the flicker task and explain how this effect change blindness?

A

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

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18
Q

What is intentional change detection and how does it apply to the flicker test?

A

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.

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19
Q

What is subliminal stimulus?

A

a sensory stimulus that is processed, but does not reach the threshold for conscious perception

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20
Q

What is the difference between subvisual ad subaudible messages?

A

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

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21
Q

What is subconscious processing?

A

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

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22
Q

Attention disorders - explain visual neglect?

A

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

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23
Q
A
24
Q

Attention disorder - explain ADHD - symptoms and treatments?

A
  • 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
25
Q

What is fatal familial insomnia?

A

A rare, genetic disorder affecting the thalamus, that causes individuals to die from a lack of sleep
- Unable to fall asleep, effects homeostasis

26
Q

What is the difference between electroencephalograms (EEG), electrooculograms, and electromyogram?

A

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

27
Q

What are the differences in waves?

A
  • In the pattern of activity
  • Amplitudes
  • Frequency of wave
28
Q

Explain slow waves.

A

regular

29
Q

Explain the difference between the awake, relaxed, and transitional states in relation to waves?

A

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

30
Q

Explain stage 1 of sleep?

A

Easily awaken and could report not even sleeping

31
Q

Transition stage - explain what sleep spindles are?

A

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

32
Q

Transitional stage - explain what k complexes are?

A

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

33
Q

stage 3 - 15-20 mins after stage 2: what is it and explain the difference between delta activity and slow-wave sleep?

A

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

34
Q

What is REM and how does it affect the body and brain waves?

A

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

35
Q

What is a hypnogram?

A

A depiction of a person’s progress through the stages of a person’s sleep over the course of a night

36
Q

What is the importance of sleep?

A
  • Sleep deprivation negatively impacts health and cognition, leading to irritability, confusion, and even hallucinations.
  • helps with memory consolidation
37
Q

What is the physical and cognitive hypothesis on why people need sleep?

A
  • 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.
38
Q

what is the importance of slow wave sleep?

A
  • 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.
39
Q

What is the importance of REM sleep?

A
  • 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.
40
Q

What is the difference between dreams in REM and not in REM?

A

REM: normal dreams
Non REM: nightmares

41
Q

What is the Freud theory on sleep?

A

Proposed that consciousness is just a small part of our mental processes, with much behavior influenced by unconscious impulses.

42
Q

What is the evolutionary perspective on dreams?

A

often related to survival; for instance, dreams about threats can enhance real-life performance in stressful situations.

43
Q

What is parasomnia (2)?

A

Abnormal behaviors or experiences during sleep.
- REM sleep behavior disorders: acting out dream
- Slow wave sleep disorder: bedwetting, night terror, sleep walking

44
Q

What are the 4 dyssomnias?

A

insomnia, conditioned insomnia, idiopathic insomnia, hypersomnia

45
Q

Explain insomnia.

A

Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- treatments: sleep hygiene

46
Q

Explain conditioned insomnia .

A

anxiety about sleep leads to no sleep

47
Q

Explain hypersomnia.

A

Excessive sleepiness; can be a symptom of various disorders.
- Poor sleep quality, often related to conditions like sleep apnea.

48
Q

Explain narcolepsy.

A

A rare genetic disorder causing uncontrollable sleep attacks.
- Symptoms: sleep attacks, cataplexy (loss of muscle tone triggered by strong emotions), hallucinations

49
Q

Explain sleep apnea.

A

Reduced oxygen intake during sleep, which can cause frequent awakenings.
- Health Risks: Linked to increased risk of dementia, diabetes, hypertension, and stroke.

50
Q

Explain idiopathic insomnia.

A

childhood - hard to treat

51
Q

What are psychoactive drugs?

A
  • Substances that influence mood, thoughts, or behavior.
  • Can have both beneficial (e.g., treatment for psychological disorders) and detrimental effects (e.g., addiction).
52
Q

What are the 2 depressants and explain?

A

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

53
Q

What is addiction?

A
  • 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.
54
Q

What are the 3 hallucinogens and explain?

A

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

55
Q

What are the 3 stimulants and explain?

A

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