Unit 3 - 6: Consciousness

Question 1

Consciousness

Answer 1

State of being aware that we are conscious

Question 2

Elements of consciousness

Answer 2

1. Emotion/ empathy
2. Imitation
3. Mirror recognition
4. Tool use
5. Metacognition
6. Theory of mind
7. Language

Question 3

Emotion/empathy

Answer 3

Possession of complex emotions and imagining others with emotions (primates, dolphins, hippos, rodents, vertebrates)

Question 4

Imitation

Answer 4

Mimic the action of others (awareness stepping stone) (many species, even octopus)

Question 5

Mirror recognition

Answer 5

Ability to recognize self in mirror (great apes, dolphins, magpies, elephants)

Question 6

Tool use

Answer 6

Using found objects to achieve goals (primates, elephants, otters, dolphins, crows, gulls)

Question 7

Metacognition

Answer 7

Thinking about thinking, able to consider one’s mind (primates, dolphins)

Question 8

Theory of mind

Answer 8

Insight to the lives of others, recognizing that others have their own things going on (humans, chimpanzees)

Question 9

Language

Answer 9

System of symbols with specific meaning and grammar that can convey to someone else who speaks the same langauge (only humans)

Question 10

Default mode network

Answer 10

Underlies introspection, determines consciousness

Question 11

Default mode network parts (5)

Answer 11

1. Prefrontal cortex
2. Insula
3. Inferior parietal lobe
4. Lateral temporal cortex
5. Hippocampus formation

Question 12

Electrical stimulation of claustrum

Answer 12

Loss of consciousness

Question 13

Easy problem of consciousness

Answer 13

Understanding how particular patterns of neural activity create conscious experiences (someday will be solved)

Question 14

Hard problem of consciousness

Answer 14

Can’t map a subjective experience, can know what neurons cause an experience for someone but can’t ask them how it feels.

Question 15

Qualia

Answer 15

Subjective experiences

Question 16

Explanatory gap

Answer 16

No fully reductive explanation of subjective experiences

Question 17

Theories of consciousness (3)

Answer 17

1. High order theories
2. Global workspace theories
3. Integrated info theory

Question 18

High order theories

Answer 18

High order Brain networks learn to refractive representations encoded in lower order networks (lower order senses, higher order “I am aware of”

Question 19

Global workspace theory

Answer 19

Anatomically widespread higher processing that can be accessed by local processors; ignition connects them to create consciousness of an experience

Question 20

Integrated information theory

Answer 20

Conscious experience of something comes from the activation of the minimal number of connections required to represent a particular thing

Question 21

Near death experiences

Answer 21

Signify to some people that consciousness can persists without the brain (dualism)

Question 22

Free will

Answer 22

Ability of our conscious self to decide our actions moment to moment

Question 23

Free will in the brain proof

Answer 23

Activity in IPS and prefrontal cortex

Question 24

Free will in the brain against

Answer 24

EEG recordings indicate preparation to move occurred before people consciously decide to choose (it was the brain and consciousness was late)

Question 25

Executive function

Answer 25

Suite of high level cognitive processes that control and organize lower level cognitive functions in line with our thoughts and feeling
1. Smooth task switching between different cognitive operations
2. Continual updating of the cognitive plan based on new info and contents of working memory
3. Timely inhibition of responses that would compromise the plan

Question 26

Neuroeconomics

Answer 26

Study of making decisions based on money risk and reward

Question 27

Valuation network

Answer 27

Ranks choices based on worth and potential reward

Question 28

Choice network

Answer 28

Sifts through the validated choices and makes the decision