Week 9 Flashcards
What is conscious experience?
The first-person perspective of a mental event, such as feeling some sensory input, a memory, an idea, an emotion, etc
what is 1st person perspective
Observations made by individuals about their own conscious experiences
what is 3rd personal perspective
Observations made by individuals in a way that can be independently confirmed by other individuals so as to lead to general, objective understanding.
What is cortical blindness
when you can’t see even tho the structures of the eyes are undamaged and work perfectly
What is blindsight?
a condition where a person can analyze and respond to visual events even though they have no conscious awareness of having seen the stimuli.
What does the hippocampus do?
intimately involved in our ability to store memories of the events we experience every day
How do we make decisions?
through both conscious and unconscious information processing
what is awareness?
an essential ingredient to conscious experience
What is contemplative science?
a research area that covers the understanding how contemplative practices such as meditation can affect individuals, including changes in their behavior, their emotional reactivity, their cognitive abilities, and their brains.
What is consciousness?
Awareness of ourselves and our environment.
What is low awareness?
not being aware of various stimuli in your environment, tho ur brain is paying attention and knows to a certain level. Influenced by subtle factors, saves mental effort
in low awareness, what is ‘priming’?
the activation of certain thoughts or feelings that make them easier to think of and act upon
in low awareness, what is “implicit associations test’?
A computer reaction time test that measures a person’s automatic associations with concepts
What is high awareness?
using mental effort to really pay attention, it can overcome some biases, ex. engaging in a meaningful conversation
What is mindfulness?
a state of higher consciousness that includes an awareness of the thoughts passing through one’s head.
is knowing when to not get mad, or when you’re using a stereotype, characteristic of low or high awareness?
high awareness
What are the types of consciousness?
high and low awareness, hypnosis, dissociation, hypnotherapy, trance states, sleep,
What is hypnosis?
the state of consciousness whereby a person is highly responsive to the suggestions of another; this state usually involves a dissociation with one’s environment and an intense focus on a single stimulus, which is usually accompanied by a sense of relaxation
What is dissociation?
the separation of one’s awareness from everything besides what one is centrally focused on, like when you’re playing a game inclass and don’t hear anything the teacher says
what is hypnotherapy?
The use of hypnotic techniques such as relaxation and suggestion to help engineer desirable change such as lower pain or quitting smoking.
What are trance states?
an acute dissociation between one’s self and the current, physical environment surrounding them.
What are the 4 stages of sleep?
Stage 1: N1: the “falling asleep stage” - theta waves
Stage 2: N2: “light sleep” - processing of memories - about 55% of sleep
Stage 3: N3: greater muscle relaxation and delta waves - 20-25% of sleep
REM: similar to wakefullness, stage of dreaming - tracked by eye movement - 20% of all sleep
What do dualists believe about consciousness?
Mental and physical are different substances
What do reductionists believe about consciousness?
That mental phenomena can be explained via descriptions of physical phenomena
What are Circandian Rhythms?
The physiological sleep-wake cycle, influenced by exposure to sunlight as well as daily schedule and activity.
What is motion-induced blindness?
A small object surrounded by moving patterns will disappear from your vision
What are the 3 classes of psychoactive drugs?
Hallucinogens, depressants, stimulants
What are hallucinogens?
substances that, when ingested, alter a person’s perceptions, often by creating hallucinations that are not real or distorting their perceptions of time.
What does transcranial magnetic stimulation do?
It directly activates visual motion areas with an externally applied magnetic field, making you see dots
What can euphoria be defined as?
an intense feeling of pleasure, excitement or happiness
What are depressants?
a class of drugs that slow down the body’s physiological and mental processes
What is Blood Alcohol Content?
a measure of the percentage of alcohol found in a person’s blood
What guarantees visual awareness?
A certain type of reciprocal exchange of info across areas of the brain, especially the cerebral cortex ensures visual awareness
What are stimulants?
a class of drugs that speed up the body’s physiological and mental processes.
