Chapter 4 - States of Consciousness

Consciousness

A person's subjective experience of the world and the mind.

Phenomenology

How things seem or feel to the conscious person.

Intentionality

The property of consciousness where it is directed toward an object.

Unity

The property of consciousness where it resists division and integrates information.

Selectivity

The property of consciousness involving attention and filtering out certain information.

Transience

The property of consciousness where thoughts continually change.

Problem of Other Minds

The fundamental difficulty of directly experiencing another person's consciousness.

Mind-Body Problem

The question of how the mind is related to the physical brain and body.

Minimal Consciousness

Low-level sensory awareness and responsiveness where sensation comes in and behavior may come out.

Full Consciousness

A state where you are aware of your mental state and can report it.

Self-Consciousness

A state where attention is directed toward yourself as an object.

Mental Control

The attempt to change one's conscious mental state.

Ironic Processes of Mental Control

Trying not to think about something requires monitoring for the thought, which can activate it.

Rebound Effect

The phenomenon where a suppressed thought returns to consciousness even more frequently.

Default Network

A network of brain areas that becomes active during daydreaming when no specific task is at hand.

Dynamic Unconscious

Freud's view of an active unconscious containing hidden memories, instincts, desires, and internal conflicts.

Cognitive Unconscious

Mental processes that influence thoughts, choices, emotions, and behavior without conscious awareness.

Circadian Rhythm

A naturally occurring 24-hour biological cycle regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN).

Hypnagogic State

The presleep state of consciousness.

Hypnopompic State

The postsleep consciousness state during the transition from sleep to waking.

Beta Waves

Brain waves associated with awake and alert mental activity.

Alpha Waves

Brain waves associated with relaxed wakefulness.

Stage 2 Sleep

A sleep stage characterized by sleep spindles and K-complexes.

Delta Waves

Low frequency and high amplitude brain waves associated with deep slow-wave sleep.

REM Sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep characterized by high brain activity, dreaming, and body immobilization.

Insomnia

Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.

Sleep Apnea

A sleep disorder in which a person temporarily stops breathing during sleep.

Narcolepsy

Sudden sleep attacks occurring during waking activities.

Manifest Content

The apparent or surface content and storyline of a dream.

Latent Content

The supposed underlying or hidden meaning of a dream.

Activation-Synthesis Model

The theory that dreams occur because the brain attempts to make sense of random neural activity during sleep.

Agonist

A psychoactive drug that increases the activity of a neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

A psychoactive drug that decreases the activity of a neurotransmitter.

Tolerance

The condition where increasingly larger doses of a drug are required over time to produce the same effect.

Physical Dependence

A state where stopping drug use produces unpleasant physiological withdrawal symptoms.

Psychological Dependence

A strong desire or craving for a drug even after physical withdrawal symptoms are gone.

Depressants

Drugs that reduce central nervous system activity, such as alcohol and barbiturates.

Stimulants

Drugs that increase central nervous system activity, arousal, and alertness.

Expectancy Theory

The theory that some drug effects occur because of what people expect the drug to do to them.

Alcohol Myopia

The condition where alcohol reduces attentional capacity, causing people to respond in simpler ways to complex situations.

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter sensation and perception and may produce visual or auditory hallucinations.

Hypnosis

An altered state of consciousness characterized by high suggestibility and a feeling that actions happen involuntarily.