Understanding Consciousness and Emotion

Vocabulary flashcards derived from lecture notes on consciousness, emotion, and personality.

Phenomenal consciousness

Immediate perceptual experience without decision making.

Access consciousness

The ability to use that perception for communication and reasoning.

Self-Awareness

The ability to understand oneself as separate from the environment.

Mirror test

A test to determine self-awareness by recognizing oneself in the mirror.

Theory of mind

Understanding that others have distinct thoughts and feelings.

Egocentrism

Assumption that everyone perceives the world the same way as oneself.

Basic emotions

The fundamental emotions including joy, surprise, anger, sadness, fear, disgust, contempt.

Two-factor theory of emotion

Arousal leads to cognition, which then leads to emotion.

Cortisol

A hormone released in response to stress activating multiple physiological responses.

Yerkes-Dodson law

A principle stating that moderate stress improves performance, while too much or too little can hinder it.

Circadian rhythm

The natural cycle regulating sleep and wakefulness, influenced by factors like light.

Lucid dreaming

A state during REM sleep where the dreamer is aware they are dreaming.

Psychoactive drugs

Substances that alter neurotransmission processes in the brain.

Withdrawal symptoms

Physical and psychological symptoms occurring when a drug is not taken.

Freud's id

The primal part of personality focused on pleasure and instinctual drives.

Ego

The conscious aspect of personality that mediates between the id and the super ego.

Super ego

The social and moral components of personality that internalize societal norms.

Defense mechanisms

Unconscious strategies used to protect the self from anxiety or conflict.

Humanistic psychology

Approach emphasizing personal growth and self-actualization.

Trait psychology

The belief that personality is characterized by a limited number of stable traits.

Conformity

The act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms.