conscious unit 2 psych 101

Cognitive Neuroscience

Interdisciplinary study linking brain activity to mental processes.

Consciousness

Combination of subjective experience and internal mental activity.

Benjamin Libet's Experiment

Study showing brain activity precedes conscious decisions.

Readiness Potential

Brain activity indicating preparation for movement.

Normal Waking State

Typical state of consciousness during daily activities.

Altered State of Consciousness

Different levels of awareness beyond normal waking.

Global Workspace Model

No single brain area solely responsible for awareness.

Prefrontal Cortex

Brain region involved in understanding and planning.

Primary Motor Cortex

Area responsible for initiating movement.

Parietal Cortex

Processes spatial awareness and orientation.

Occipital Cortex

Responsible for visual processing.

Temporal Cortex

Involved in auditory processing.

Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome

Coma lasting over a month with limited brain activity.

Inattentional Blindness

Failure to notice visible objects when distracted.

Change Blindness

Inability to detect changes in the environment.

Cocktail Party Effect

Focus on one conversation amidst background noise.

Misdirection

Technique used in magic to divert attention.

Dual-Processing Model

Two independent levels of cognitive processing.

High Road

Conscious, controlled, and deliberate cognitive processing.

Low Road

Unconscious, reflexive, and automatic cognitive processing.

Stroop Task

Demonstrates difficulty of overriding automatic reading.

Subliminal Perception

Processing information without conscious awareness.

Sleep Deprivation Studies

Research showing detrimental effects of lack of sleep.

Sleep Deprivation Effects

3-4 hours causes increased sleepiness and mood disturbances.

Microsleeps

Brief naps lasting 2-3 seconds during deprivation.

Circadian Rhythm

Biological process with ~24-hour endogenous oscillation.

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

Regulates circadian rhythms via light detection.

Melatonin

Hormone regulating sleep-wake cycles, synthesized from serotonin.

Jet Lag

Circadian rhythm disruption due to time zone changes.

Sleep Cycles

Includes stages 1-3 and REM sleep.

Non-REM Sleep

Comprises stages 1-3, excluding REM sleep.

Beta Waves

Low amplitude, irregular waves during alertness.

Alpha Waves

Medium frequency, regular waves during relaxation.

Theta Waves

Present in transition from wakefulness to sleep.

Sleep Spindles

Bursts of brain activity in stage N2 sleep.

K-Complexes

Large waves in response to external stimuli during sleep.

Slow-Wave Sleep

Deep sleep characterized by high amplitude, low frequency.

REM Sleep

Paradoxical sleep with active brain but immobile muscles.

Sleep Apnea

Condition where breathing stops repeatedly during sleep.

Night Terrors

Intense fear episodes during slow-wave sleep.

Narcolepsy

Disorder causing sudden sleep episodes at inappropriate times.

Hypnosis

Social interaction inducing changes in memory and perception.

Sociocognitive Theory

Hypnosis behavior based on social expectations, not altered state.

Dissociation Theory

Hypnosis creates an altered state of consciousness.

Hypnotic Analgesia

Pain reduction through hypnosis, altering pain perception.

Meditation

Intense contemplation leading to altered consciousness and calmness.

Flow State

Focused consciousness where self-awareness diminishes during activities.

Psychoactive Drug

Chemical altering perceptions and mood, affecting consciousness.

Psychoactive drugs

Substances affecting brain synapse activity.

Stimulants

Drugs that excite CNS and speed body functions.

Depressants

Drugs that decrease CNS activity and induce relaxation.

Opiates

Narcotics providing pain relief and sedation.

Psychedelics

Drugs altering perception and consciousness.

Set

Mindset influencing psychoactive experiences.

Setting

Context and environment for drug experiences.

Addiction

Compulsive drug use despite negative consequences.

Dependence

Need for a substance to function normally.

Tolerance

Diminished effect from regular drug use.

Withdrawal

Discomfort after stopping drug use.

Naloxone

Opiate receptor blocker used in overdoses.

Naltrexone

Competitive antagonist for opiate receptors.

Caffeine

Stimulant found in coffee and tea.

Nicotine

Stimulant in tobacco products.

Alcohol

Depressant affecting CNS and inhibiting functions.

MDMA

Psychedelic known as ecstasy.

LSD

Hallucinogenic drug affecting perception.

THC

Cannabinoid stimulating CB1 receptors in the brain.

Analgesia

Pain relief provided by certain drugs.

Excitotoxicity

Neuron damage from excessive stimulation.

Behaviorism

Learning theory focusing on observable behaviors.

John Watson

Focused on environment's role in learning.

Tabula Rasa

Latin term meaning 'blank slate' for infants.

Nonassociative Learning

Learning involving only one stimulus.

Habituation

Decreased response to repeated stimulus exposure.

Sensitization

Increased response after prolonged stimulus exposure.

Associative Learning

Learning that involves linking two stimuli.

Classical Conditioning

Learning that two stimuli are associated together.

Ivan Pavlov

Studied dog salivation as a reflexive response.

Stimulus

Event or situation that evokes a response.

Neutral Stimulus (NS)

Stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

Stimulus that naturally elicits a response.

Unconditioned Response (UR)

Natural response to an unconditioned stimulus.

Acquisition

Initial learning of the association between NS and US.

Extinction

Diminishing conditioned response when US no longer follows CS.

Spontaneous Recovery

Reappearance of conditioned response after a pause.

Generalization

Similar stimuli elicit similar responses to conditioned stimulus.

Discrimination

Distinguishing between conditioned stimulus and similar stimuli.

Operant Conditioning

Learning that behavior leads to specific outcomes.

E.L. Thorndike

Pioneered animal research with puzzle box paradigm.

Law of Effect

Successful behaviors are likely to be repeated.

B.F. Skinner

Major behaviorism pioneer; studied measurable responses.

Skinner Box

Device used to shape complex behavior through reinforcement.

Positive reinforcement

Adds a desirable stimulus to encourage behavior.

Negative reinforcement

Removes an unpleasant stimulus to encourage behavior.

Punishment

Decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring.

Positive punishment

Adds an unpleasant stimulus to decrease behavior.

Negative punishment

Removes a desirable stimulus to decrease behavior.

Primary reinforcers

Innately satisfying without needing conditioning.

Secondary reinforcers

Conditioned stimuli associated with primary reinforcers.

Discriminative stimuli

Cues indicating when a behavior will be reinforced.