psych 1115 chapter 3 consciousness and two track mind

What is dual processing

the principle that info is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

what does two-track mind refer to

refers to dual processing

what is blindsight

a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

what is selective attention

focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

what is inattentional blindness

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

what is change blindness

failing to notice changes in environment; a form of inattentional blindness

what is circadian rhythm

our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temp & wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle

how circadian rhythm works

in morning, body temp rises, peaks during day, dips in early afternoon, begins to drop in evening — thinking, memory work best when we are in peak circadian arousal (altered by age, individuals, external factors)

suprachiasmatic nucleus

part of hypothalamus that controls circadian clock

melatonin

sleep-inducing hormone

what is biological rhythm

sleep comprising of 5 stages that are cycled through every 90 min

waking beta

waking alpha

stage 1

stage 2

stage 3/4

REM sleep

stage 1 of biological rhythm

fleeting images, hypnagogic state; Theta wavers

stage 2 of biological rhythm

Theta waves continues to slow

stage 3/4 of biological rhythm

Delta waves (large, slow) release of human growth hormone

REM sleep of biological rhythm

‘Paradoxical sleep’ — brain is buzzing but body is paralyzed, heart rate rises, breathing is rapid

why we sleep

helps restore & repair damaged neurons, plays a preservative & protective role in human evo, strengthen neural connections, promotes creative problem solving, pituitary gland secretes growth hormone

wish fulfillment theory (why we dream)

a dream’s manifest content is censored version of latent content, dreams are safe outlet to act out unacceptable wishes

information processing (why we dream)

dreams help us sort out day’s events, consolidate memories

activation synthesis (why we dream)

dreams are brain’s attempt to make sense of random neural activity in visual & auditory cortexes, amygdala activities increase during emotional dreams

physiological functions (why we dream)

regular brain stimulation from REM may help develop, preserve neural pathways

cognitive development (why we dream)

dream content reflects dreamer's’ cognitive development — his/her knowledge & understanding

effects of sleep loss

decreased ability to focus/store memories, decreased production of immune cells, increased risk of obesity, increased inflammation, increased risk of high blood pressure, reduced strength/slower reaction time

how hormones are affected by sleep loss

increased ghrelin (hunger), increased cortisol (stress), decreasing metabolics (energy), disrupts gene expression, enhances limbic brain responses

withdrawal

discomfort, distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug/behaviour (symptoms include physical, psychological dependence)

addiction

compulsive craving of drugs/certain behaviours (gambling) despite known adverse consequences — can be cured

tolerance

tendency for larger does of a drug to be required over time to achieve the same effect

psychoactive drug

chemical substance that alters perceptions, mood

depressant (psychoactive drug)

drugs such as alcohol, barbiturates (tranquilizer), opiates that calm neural activity & slows body function — alcohol acts as disinhibitor (slows neural processing, reduces self-control, memory disruption, cognitive impairment) behaviour is influenced by expectation

stimulants (psychoactive drug)

excite neural activity, speeds up body function — increases alertness & energy (includes caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, metamphetamine)

hallucinogens (psychoactive drug)

distort perceptions, call up sensory images without any input from senses, includes LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), psilocybin (mushroom), ketamine/marijuana (mild hallucinogen)

alcohol myopia

by focusing on arousing situation at the expense of normal inhibitons and future consequences

biological perspective (brain functioning)

depressants dampen CNS function — loss of reason, caution, inhibitons, fine motor skills, slower reaction — slurred speech, impaired hearing, blurred vision, poor depth perception

biological perspective (neurotransmission)

some stimulants, like cocaine are reuptake inhibitors (blocks reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin), metamphetamine works by increasing release dopamine at presynaptic neurons

psychological perspective (stress response)

addiction is learned response to unpleasant experiences, stress is related to drug addiction/relapse, PTSD & drug abuse often co-occur, young adults who reported higher lvls of meaning life reported lower lvls of alcohol/marijuana use

Social-cultural perspective (media exposure, smoking)

tobacco industry targets toward adolescents/children by featuring themes of masculinity/coolness (psychological motive), claims to persuade adult smokers to switch brands but only 10% of them do

Social-cultural perspective (rat park study)

demonstrates importance of social and structural environment