Chapter 3: Conscious Cognitive Processes

Flashcards covering key concepts related to conscious cognitive processes.

Alien hand syndrome

A condition in which a person’s hand seems to have an agenda that differs from the one reported by its owner.

Indicators of consciousness

Sensations, desires, emotions, cognitions, reasonings, decisions, volition

Mindfulness

An approach to channelling awareness that is utilized in stress reduction programs.

Neural correlates of consciousness

The minimal conditions or structures that can produce conscious states.

Locked-in syndrome

A condition where individuals are conscious but trapped in nonresponsive bodies.

Implicit cognition

Mechanisms that affect cognitive performance without conscious awareness.

Blindsight

A phenomenon where a person reports having extensive blind spots but sometimes acts as if they can see.

Subliminal perception

Implicit processing in perceptual tasks that occurs without conscious awareness. studied by briefly flashing 2 images before main stimulus and asking to report what was seen

Priming

When a person's forgotten perception of an earlier event affects how they perceive or interpret a subsequent event.

Habits

automatic processes you engage in controlled by implicit processes

hierarchical model

instructions delivered from commander than controls underlings which control minion subsystems that ultimately carry out commands

Impressions of control

people are only aware of the outcome of their actions, not the processes needed to make them happen. initiation of actions occurs before we are aware of it

Readiness potential

Changes in brain activity that precede voluntary acts.

Reflexes

outside stimulus triggers a process which ends in a predetermined reaction

Competing controllers

hidden battles for control over your behaviour occurring without your awareness

Dynamic systems theory

Portrays action selection and production as interactive processes not reliant on specific triggers. Based on physiological activity and environmental conditions

Emergent patterns

patterns that arise from interactions between control mechanisms and new conditions

Emotions

combinations of neurophysiological processes, behaviour, and subjective feelings.

6 main emotions

anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise

Emotional regulation

the controlled reaction to ongoing emotional states. involves implicit recognition and reaction, and conscious action selection and suppression

Facial (micro) expressions

provide clearest physical indication of emotional state

Reminiscence bump

people are more likely to recall episodes in their life from a specific age range

OCD

people with OCD experience less conscious voluntary control of actions, reducing ability to supress unwanted thought

Herd mentality

people align their thoughts or behaviours with the majority, without regard for rationality

The psychologist’s fallacy

attributing a quality to a cognitive phenomenon based on personal impressions of the phenomenon

Cognitive biases

an unconscious tendency to take mental shortcuts

expectancy effects

participants act in a certain way based on what they think the researcher wants

Qualia

The personal subjective experiences of what it is like to be conscious.

Emotional regulation

The controlled reaction to ongoing emotional states involving both implicit recognition and conscious action.