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Psychology1A > States of consciousness > Flashcards

States of consciousness Flashcards

1
Q

Consciousness

A

The subjective awareness of mental events. It monitors the self and environment and controls thoughts and behaviour.

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2
Q

Attention

A

The focus of conscious awareness on limited stimuli to heighten sensitivity and information processing.

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3
Q

Divided attention

A

Attend to two or more tasks or stimuli. Measured with dichotic listening.

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4
Q

Flow

A

State of consciousness where someone is fully immersed in a task. Decreased activation of amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex. Increased activation of inferior frontal gyrus and putamen.

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5
Q

Measuring consciousness

A

Can be measured with self-report questionnaires (mindful attention and awareness scale, conscious quotient inventory), brain imaging techniques (EEG and fMRI), and behavioral observation. Flow of consciousness studied with experience sampling (beeper studies).

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6
Q

Mind wandering

A

Attention strays from a task to irrelevant sensory information. A stable condition more common when bored, stressed or sleepy. Less common when immersed.

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7
Q

Dichotic listening

A

Presented different information in each ear. Focusing on one and repeating out loud is shadowing. Priming is when exposure to a stimulus affects the performance of a task involving related stimuli. Information ignored is still being processed to some degree.

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8
Q

Automatisation

A

Developed through practice, previous deliberate actions become automatic. Automatisation and divided attention decrease detection of peripheral stimuli.

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9
Q

Day dreaming

A

Normal flow of consciousness. Attention diverted from external stimuli to internal plans and fantasies.

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10
Q

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

A

Involved in working memory and conscious decision making. Activated when exercising conscious control, demonstrated with Stroop task.

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11
Q

Stroop task

A

Colours are written as words but in another colour. Participants are required to read the colours of the ink but ignore the words.

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12
Q

Anterior cirgulate cortex

A

Becomes active when consciousness regulates conflicting cues, such as Stroop task.

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13
Q

Selective attention

A

Process of filtering out irrelevant information.

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14
Q

Selective inattention

A

Process of ignoring relevant, but negative information. Can be adaptive or maladaptive.

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15
Q

Function of attention-orienting sensory stimuli

A

Turning sensory organs towards a stimulus (directing eyes). This activates parts of cortex to process stimulus and inhibits others. Watching a stimulus activates what and where visual pathways in the occipital, temporal and parietal lobes. Neural circuits activated in midbrain (superior colliculi controls eye movement), thalamus (directs attention to sensory systems), parietal lobes (direct attention to particular locations).

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16
Q

Control consciousness contents

A

Regulated by unconscious attentional mechanisms carried out by areas of frontal lobes and basal ganglia (thought, movement and self-control).

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17
Q

Maintaining alertness

A

Carried out by network of neurons from reticular formation (regulates states of awareness) through the frontal lobes.

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18
Q

Circadian rhythm

A

Biological cycle that evolved around daily cycles of light and dark. Circadian rhythm is drive to stay awake. Controls body temperature, hormones and other functions. Regulated by brains suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) located in the hypothalamus. Links to pineal gland that secretes melatonin. SCN is inactive at night. Free running circadian rhythm without zeitgebers (environmental cues) averages 24.2 hours. Homeostatic sleep drive works in balance. Sleep propensity is highest towards night and drops during sleep.

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19
Q

REM rapid eye movement sleep

A

Brain is very active like waking brain activity. Autonomic activity (pulse and blood pressure) increases. Most dreaming occurs. respiration becomes faster and irregular, sexual aroussal may occur. Muscle movement mostly inhibited. Occurs 4-5 times a night, increases from 5 minutes on first cycle.

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20
Q

Non REM sleep

A

Stages 1-4 of sleep. Stages are cycled every 90 minutes (shorter with age).

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21
Q

Awake

A

Irregular EEG brain activity. Beta waves of 14 cps. Eyes are closed and relaxed. Alpha waves of 8-12 cps emerge signaling transition to sleep.

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22
Q

Stage 1

A

Only lasts a few minutes, slower Theta waves 3-7 cps. Slower eye movements, muscles relax and blood pressure drops.

23
Q

Stage 2

A

Slightly larger waves with bursts of low amplitude activity or sleep spindles and high amplitude waves or k-complexes. Slower chin movements. Lasts about 20 minutes.

24
Q

Stage 3 and 4

A

Large and slow Delta waves <1 cps appear. When >50% of brain activity is Delta, stage 4 begins. Both stages are called Delta sleep. Muscles are relaxed, decreased respiration rate, and lower body temperatures. Muscles rest and repair. Delta lasts 20-40 minutes but decreases each cycle as REM increases. Sleep cycles from 4,3,2 then REM then back again.

25
Q

Dreaming activity

A

PET studies show network of neurons beginning at pons extending to thalamus and amygdala are active during REM. Visual association areas in occipital and temporal lobes that form mental images and identify objects are active but not primary visual cortex. Areas of prefrontal cortex involved in consciousness, attention, critical thinking and social judgement are inhibited.

26
Q

Consolidating memories in sleep

A

During NREM sleep, the hippocampus replays what it has learned during the day and activates relevant parts of the cortex to consolidate the memory. During REM sleep, activity appears to flow in the other direction (from the cortex to the hippocampus) erasing old memories from the hippocampus that are now fully consolidated in the cortex.

27
Q

Sleep deprivation

A

7 hours of sleep is optimal or 6.5 to 8.5. Sleep is needed to restore cognition and body and to also consolidate memories. Long-term sleep deprivation reduces the immune system, motor function, memory, and attention. A modulatory neurotransmitter (adenosine) in the thalamus and deep in the cerebrum increases every hour an animal is awake that inhibits and shuts down arousal systems.

28
Q

Psychodynamic view for dreaming

A

Freud believed dreams had manifest content/ storylines and latent content/ underlying meaning. Latent content is an unconscious wish or forbidden desire. Dreams are quickly forgotten because they contain anxiety-provoking thoughts that are repressed by consciousness. Contemporary psychologists now believe latent content can be a wish, fear, or emotionally pressing concern. Dreams and unconsciousness are created and connected by association, not logic. The illogical and irrational language can be deciphered.

29
Q

Cognitive view for dreaming

A

Dreams express current thoughts and concerns and may present solutions to problems. Dreams use metaphors and images unmonitored by consciousness to communicate current concerns with its own peculiar form or grammar of language. Manifest content is constructed from latent content with language of dreaming

30
Q

Biological view of dreaming

A

Dreams are biological phenomena with no meaning created by random neural signals initiated in midbrain during REM sleep. Signals are replayed through thalamus to visual cortexes that understand the information with schemas. Dreams are bizarre because the signals are random.

31
Q

Psychodynamic view of unconsciousness

A

Freud identified three systems of consciousness: conscious, pre-conscious and unconscious.

32
Q

Conscious mental processes

A

Subjective awareness of stimuli, thoughts and feelings.

33
Q

Preconscious

A

Not presently conscious but may readily brought to consciousness.

34
Q

Dynamic Unconscious

A

Thoughts, feelings and memories that are inaccessible to consciousness as they would provoke too much negative emotion and have been repressed.

35
Q

Descriptively unconscious

A

Processes that are not conscious nor threatening.

36
Q

Subliminal perception

A

Perception of stimuli below the threshold of consciousness can influence thought, emotion, and behaviour.

37
Q

Unconscious emotion and motivation

A

These processes can be unconscious and influence behaviour. When not consciously working towards goals, implicit or unconscious motives may be acted on.

38
Q

Cognitive view of unconsciousness

A

Information processing mechanisms outside of awareness such as procedural knowledge and implicit memories. Includes Freud’s descriptive unconscious but not dynamic unconscious, as the person is not motivated to keep processes unconscious.

39
Q

Implicit/ unconscious cognition and memory

A

Knowing how, skills, classical conditioning, and priming. Fast and efficient and operate simultaneously.

40
Q

Explicit/ conscious cognition and memory

A

Knowing what. Shift rapidly between tasks but only focus on one at a time. More flexible and broader scope.

41
Q

Consciousness location

A

Hindbrain and midbrain structures, especially reticular formation, have key role in regulating states of wakefulness and arousal. Consciousness is distributed across neural pathways involving a circuit from reticular formation> thalamus> prefrontal cortex> thalamus> midbrain regions of the reticular formation.

42
Q

Meditation

A

Relaxation practice that creates state of tranquility by altering flow of conscious thoughts. Focus on stimulus or background stimuli to disrupt normal flow of consciousness. Alpha waves more prominent in EEG.

43
Q

Mindfulness

A

Focused awareness on thoughts, feelings, and behaviours without judgment or reaction. Diverts attention from external stimuli to individual thoughts and emotions in present moment to develop heightened awareness.

44
Q

Hypnosis

A

Altered state of consciousness characterised by deep relaxation and suggestibility.

45
Q

Hypermnesia

A

Can be initiated by hypnosis to recall forgotten/ repressed memories.

46
Q

Psychoactive substance

A

A drug that operates on the nervous system. Alters patterns of mental activity.

47
Q

Agonist

A

Drug that increases activity of neurotransmitter.

48
Q

Antagonist

A

Drug that inhibits or decreases action of neurotransmitter.

49
Q

Tolerance

A

Decreasing responsiveness to drug over time.

50
Q

Compensatory responses

A

Reaction that is opposite to that of a drug. Increases tolerance.

51
Q

Withdrawal

A

Effects of compensatory.

52
Q

Depressants

A

Slows down the nervous system: Barbiturates/ downers- calming (sleeping pills), Benzodiazepines- anti-anxiety (tranquilisers, valium and xanax), alcohol and heroin.

53
Q

Stimulants

A

Increases alertness, energy, and autonomic reactivity (heart rate, blood pressure): nicotine, caffeine, amphetamine, cocaine.

Psychology1A (8 decks)

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