MB1 - Consciousness Expand Cards

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  • Created by: Psych951
  • Created on: 11-05-18 12:14

What is Consciousness?

  • Moment-to-moment awareness
  • Properties of consciousness
  • Measuring consciousness
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What is Consciousness Expanded

  • Moment-to-moment awareness of ourselves and our environment
  • Properties:
    • Subjective
    • Private
    • Dynamic
    • Self-reflective
    • Connected to selective attention
  • Measuring states of consciousness is hard
    • Self-report
    • Behavioural measures (e.g. record performance on tasks)
    • Physiological measures (e.g. brain imaging). 
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Levels of Consciousness

  • Freudian View
  • Cognitive View
  • Examples of unconscious processing 
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Levels of Consciousness Expanded

  • Freudian View: 
    • Conscious, pre-conscious and unconscious.
    • Criticised for not being scientific/empirically based.
  • Cognitive viewpoint:
    • Complimentary levels of consciousness
    • Controlled (con) and automatic (uncon)
    • Divided attention = attend to more than on activity at the same time because one or both behaviours are automatic.
  • Examples of unconscious processing
    • Visual agnosia
    • Blind-sight
    • Priming
    • Emotional unconscious. 
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Why have Consciousness?

  • Summaries
  • Override impulse
  • Novel Situations
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Why have Consciousness Expanded

  • Provides summaries of important stimuli to help decision making
  • Override potential dangerous behaviours dictated by impulse
  • Deal with novel situations of which there is not yet an automatic/learnt response 
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Sleep

  • 90 Minute sleep cycle
  • Beta vs Alpha waves
  • Changes in the night
  • REM
  • Sleep and the Brain
  • Purpose
  • Sleep disorders
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Sleep Expanded

  • 90 Minute cycle of stages: 1-2-3-4-3-2-REM 
    • 1 = Light sleep; Irregular brain wave patterns; Slow theta waves – Intense images, light dreams, little muscle spasms
    • 2 = Deeper sleep; Sleep spindles (bursts of brain wave activity); Some dreams; Relaxed body
    • 3 = Deeper sleep; Regular delta waves
    • 4 = Deepest; Delta dominate EEG pattern
  • Beta waves = Alert, high frequency, low amplitude – Alpha waves = Relaxed, low frequency, high amplitude.
  • During the night, REM periods increase in length and stage 3&4 decrease.
  • REM = Rapid eye movements – High brain activity and frequent dreaming – Sleep paralysis.
  • Brain isn’t turned off to sleep, instead areas of the brain promote sleep – Brain stem and basal forebrain key in REM
  • Purpose of sleep:
    • Restore bodies and mind
    • Evolutionary adaptation
    • Memory consolidation.
  • Sleep disorders have serious consequences – Examples Inc. insomnia, narcolepsy and REM sleep behaviour disorder.
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Dreams

  • What are dreams
  • Dream content
  • Theories of dreaming
  • Dreaming whilst awake
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Dreams Expanded

  • A series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep
    • Dreams occur in all stages of sleep
    • Hypnagogic state = Vivid images/hallucinations often experienced in the transition from wake to sleep early stage 2
    • REM = majority of dreams.    
  • Dreams aren’t as abstract as believed, and normally involve real places, people etc. but in less real sequences.
    • Culture, experience, concerns etc. all affect dream content
    • Help prepare for environment.
  • Theories of dreaming:
    • Freud’s Psychoanalytical = Wish fulfilment, urges, psychological meanings are discovered.
    • Activation-synthesis = Dreams have no function, they are a by-product of REM activity (activation) which the cerebral cortex tries to organise (synthesis).
    • Cognitive theories = Problem solving, and dreams are like normal waking behaviour/brain activity.
  • Dreaming whilst awake e.g. daydreams and fantasy-prone personalities. 
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Hypnosis

  • Process of Hypnosis 
    • Induction
    • Susceptibility
  • Theories of hypnosis
  • Hypnotised Brain
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Hypnosis Expanded

  • Heightened suggestibility, vivid imagination and intense relaxation 
    • Induction = Leading someone into a hypnotic state
    • Susceptibility = How easily someone is hypnotically induced
  • Theories of hypnosis:
    • Dissociation = Splitting consciousness
    • Social-cognitive theory = Expectations of someone who is motivated to be hypnotised.
  • Hypnotised brain: Hypnotised people experience different brain activation
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Neural Basis of Consciousness

  • Neurological states
  • Processing pathways
  • Brain acitvity
  • Enactive consciousness
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Neural Basis of Consciousness Expanded

  • Different neurological states correlate with consciousness = Neural basis
  • Processing occurs across multiple pathways, some of which produce conscious awareness.
  • Unified activity of different systems in brain – Not localised to one area.
  • Enactive consciousness: Alternative to neural consciousness – Doesn’t deny neural representations, but says we use skills to generate perceptions and conscious.
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Focussed Attention

  • Selective concentration
  • Filter models
  • Attenuation model
  • Inattention and change blindness
  • Measuring attention
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Focussed Attention Expanded

  • Selectively concentrating on aspects of environment and specifically responding to stimuli, especially in ‘noisy’ environment.
  • Filter models: Focus attention/filter specific info at an early stage.
    • Late selection model suggests filtering happens later in attention process, just before we respond.
  • Attenuation model: Attenuate (reduce effect) of some information, so it isn’t consciously processed.
  • Inattention blindness = Failure to notice unexpected items in visual scene – Change blindness = Fail to see changes to items.
  • ERPs measure attention – Larger and stronger waves when paying attention
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Divided Attention

  • Simultaneous response
  • Factors affceting ability to divide attention
  • Endogenous vs. exogenous control
  • Cross modal effects
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Divided Attention Expanded

  • Respond seemingly simultaneously to multiple demands
  • Factors affecting ability to divide attention:
    • Rehearsal
    • Difficulty
    • Similarity 
  • Endogenous control = Attention drawn by internal stimuli; Exogenous = drawn by external
  • Cross modal effects: When one sense is drawn in, it draws attention of other senses e.g. hearing someone speak draws eyes to the person’s lips.
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Circadian Rhythms

  • 24-Hour biological clock
  • Regulation
  • Zeitgebers
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder
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Circadian Rhythms Expanded

  • Biological clock adapted to a 24-hour day world – Steady rhythmic state - Affects body temperature, chemical levels, blood pressure etc.
  • Regulated by suprachiasmatic nucleus in hypothalamus – Linked to Pineal gland which controls melatonin secretion.
  • Zeitgebers = Stimuli that help regulate clock, may be disruptions e.g. jet lag
    • Exogenous = External e.g. sunlight, regular patterns of behaviour
    • Endogenous (pacemakers) = Internal e.g. Pineal gland's melatonin secretion, suprachiasmatic nucleus
  • Seasonal affective disorder: Low mood in winter when there is reduced sunlight – Their clock is particularly dependent on light, therefore becomes more free-running in winter. 
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Drug-Induced States

  • Alter consciousness
  • Tolerance
  • Withdrawal
  • Addiction
  • Depressants
  • Stimulants
  • Opiates
  • Determinants of drug effects
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Drug-Induced States Expanded

  • Drugs alter consciousness by modifying brain chemicals – Facilitate or inhibit synaptic transmission - Drugs are carried through the brain via capillaries
  • Drug tolerance = Repeated use increases dosage needed to produce same effects, due to brain counter-acting affects to maintain homeostasis (battle between drug and brain)
  • Withdrawal = Brain still compensates to achieve homeostasis, but it isn’t needed.
  • Drug addiction/dependence = Maladaptive pattern of substance use causing distress.
  • Depressants = Decrease nervous system activity
  • Stimulants = Increase neural firing and arouse nervous system.
  • Opiates = Pain relief and mood changes by affecting endorphin and dopamine systems.
  • Determinants of drug effects:
    • Biological (genes)
    • Psychological (beliefs and expectancy, personality)
    • Environmental (setting of drug use),
    • Cultural (affect responses)
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