100_9.1_Conciousness.pdf

1. Introduction to Consciousness

• Psychology 100 Lecture 9.1: Focus on consciousness and the human mind.

2. Definition and Forms of Consciousness

• Definition of Consciousness:

  • Awareness of ourselves and our environment.

  • Consciousness is a subjective experience.

• Forms of Consciousness:

  • Wakefulness: State of being alert and able to respond.

  • Sleep and Dreams: Vital aspects of consciousness featuring various sleep stages.

  • Alternative Forms of Consciousness: Daydreaming, hallucination, hypnosis, etc.

3. Psychological Phenomena During Wakefulness

• Key phenomena like selective attention and change blindness will be addressed in cognition and perception chapters; not repeated here.

• The lecture will focus on forms of consciousness other than wakefulness.

4. Awareness and Self-Consciousness

• Reflected by famous philosopher Descartes, asserting personal existence leads to conscious experience.

• Self-Consciousness:

  • The process of being aware of and reflecting on one’s own experiences and others’ perceptions.

5. The Mirror Self-Recognition Test

• Used to evaluate an animal's self-recognition capabilities.

• Animals which can recognize themselves typically include:

  • Chimpanzees

  • Elephants

  • Magpies

  • Dolphins

• Most other primates fail this test.

6. Consciousness in Non-Human Entities

• Robots and Consciousness:

  • Information processing in robots does not equate to conscious experience.

  • Current robots lack emotions and sensations; therefore, they lack conscious feelings.

7. Spontaneous and Induced Forms of Consciousness

• Conscious experiences can occur spontaneously (e.g., daydreaming, dreaming), physiologically induced (e.g., hallucinations caused by oxygen deprivation), or psychologically induced (e.g., sensory deprivation, hypnosis).

8. Sleep and Dreams

• Understanding Sleep: Mysteries of sleep and dreams being examined in laboratories worldwide.

9. Circadian Rhythms

• 24-hour cycles including sleep and wakefulness, known as the biological clock.

• Influenced by sunlight; artificial light can alter this cycle.

• Light triggers changes in melatonin production by the pineal gland (decrease in morning; increase at night).

10. Sleep Stages

• Measuring Sleep: Adults experience a cycle of five distinct stages every 90 minutes.

• Brain Activity:

  • Eyes closed, awake: Slow alpha waves (9-14 cps).

  • Early sleep (stages 1-2): High-amplitude theta waves (5-8 cps).

  • Deep sleep (stages 3-4): Delta waves (1.5-4 cps).

• REM Sleep: After deep sleep, cycles back to stage 1 with rapid eye movements and vivid dreams.

• Brain engages in waking-like activity during REM but is temporarily paralyzed.

11. Importance of Sleep

• Why Sleep? Non-REM sleep aids body repair, while REM sleep is crucial for memory tasks.

• Sleep Deprivation: Insufficient sleep leads to severe tiredness and impaired consciousness.

• Sleep Disorders: Medical conditions disrupting sleep patterns, including:

  1. Insomnia: Difficulty in falling asleep.

  2. Narcolepsy: Sudden, uncontrollable sleep episodes.

  3. Sleep apnea: Episodes of halted breathing during sleep.

12. Sleep Tips

• Maintain a consistent sleeping schedule.

• Avoid late-day exercise, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and large meals.

• Relax before bed and create a conducive sleeping environment.

13. Dream Research

• Connection between REM sleep and dreaming spurs new research directions.

• Content of Dreams (Schwartz, 2004): Often includes:

  1. Work/school-related activities.

  2. Interactions with romantic partners/family.

  3. Sports.

  4. Themes of flying, fighting, or shopping.

• Generally, dreams have more negative than positive themes.

14. Dream Theories

• Dream Theories Include:

  • Wish Fulfillment Theory (Freud): Dreams express unconscious desires (limited evidence).

  • Activation-Synthesis Theory (Hobson, 1988): Dreams are the brain's attempts to interpret random signals.

  • Threat Simulation Theory (Revonsuo, 2000): Dreams provide a simulation to prepare for real-life threats.