Honors bio test

Selective attention

Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

Inattentional blindness

Failing to see visible objects when attention is elsewhere

Change blindness

Failing to notice changes when attention is diverted 

Parallel processing

Many aspects processed simultaneously; natural for familiar tasks

Sequential processing

Step-by-step processing; used for novel or complex tasks

Multitasking

Rapid task switching reduces brain efficiency

Crashes increase 7x when dialing/reaching for a phone

Dual processing

Info processed consciously (explicit) and unconsciously (implicit)

Blindsight

Ability to respond to visual stimuli without conscious awareness

Ex: A blind person navigating obstacles without “seeing”

Spontaneous State of Consciousness

Daydreaming, drowsiness, dreaming

Physiologically induced state of consciousness

Hallucinations, food/oxygen starvation

Psychologically induced state of consciousness

Sensory deprivation, hypnosis, meditation

Sleep

Periodic, natural loss of consciousness

EEG measure of sleep

Brainwaves

EMG

Muscle activity

EOG

eye movements

Alpha waves

Relaxed, eyes closed

Sleep progression

N1 → N2 → N3 → N2 → REM → repeat (~90-min cycles)

REM sleep

Rapid eye movement, vivid dreams, muscle paralysis

Recuperation theory

Restores homeostasis

Adaptation theory

Evolved to protect from nighttime dangers

Short-term sleep deprivation

Sleepiness, irritability, decreased vigilance

Long-term sleep deprivation

Microsleeps, reduced alertness, REM rebound

REM rebound

More REM sleep after deprivation

Circadian Rhythm

Biological cycles ≈ 24 hours (“about a day”)

Zeitgebers

Environmental cues (e.g., light) that entrain rhythms

Retinohypothalamic tract

Transmits light info from retina → SCN

Insomnia

Often iatrogenic (caused by medication). May perceive less sleep than actually achieved

Sleep Apnea

Obstructive: Airway blocked

Central: Brain fails to initiate breathing

Common in males, elderly, overweight

Narcolepsy

Sudden daytime “sleep attacks”

Enters REM immediately

Linked to orexin deficiency

Natural Sleep Aids

Regular exercise, no caffeine late, dim light, regular schedule, relaxation, avoid clock-checking