UNIT 3- CONSCIOUSNESS PPT 9.27.12.pptx

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

What Is Consciousness?

• _{Consciousness is our}

awareness of ourselves and our environment.

• _{Consciousness is likened to}

a car’s speedometer: “It doesn’t make the car go, it just reflects what’s

happening.”

States of Consciousness

• _{Daydreaming, Drowsiness,}

Dreaming

• _{Hallucinations, Orgasm,}

Food/Oxygen Starvation

• _{Sensory Deprivation,}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Cognitive Neuroscience

• _{The study of the brain}

activity linked with our mental processes.

• _{By reading scans of the}

brain’s cortex,

neuroscientists can predict, to some extent, what you are thinking.

Dual Processing

• _{Principle that information is}

often simultaneously processed on separate

conscious and unconscious tracks.

• _{Remember: Everything}

psychological is

simultaneously biological.

• _{We have a conscious}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Vision

• _{The eye sends information}

simultaneously to different brain areas, each having different tasks.

• _{So….it is possible for a}

subject to have the ability to reach and grasp an object without consciously being able to recognize the object.

Vision as Dual Processing System • _{Visual Perception Track –}

enables us to unconsciously create “mental furniture” that allows us to think about the world.

• _{Visual Action Track – guides}

our conscious, moment-to-moment actions.

• _{The two conflict in the}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Unconscious Processing

• _{EXAMPLE: When you act to}

move your wrist, first brain waves jump, then 0.35

seconds later you consciously perceive your wrist will move, then 0.20 seconds later your wrist actually moves. (Before you know it, your brain is

already heading in the

direction of moving wrist!)

Unconscious Processing

• _{“Consciousness sometimes}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Serial vs Parallel Processing

• _{Serial = step by step, going}

in order one task at a time. Requires focused attention. (Conscious)

• _{Parallel Processing =}

multiple tasks are

happening at same time, on multiple levels.

(Unconscious)

Selective Attention

• _{Selective Attention is the}

focusing of conscious

awareness on a particular stimulus.

• _{Senses take in 11 million bits}

of information per second; able to consciously process 40 bits per second; some of the remaining bits are

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

• _{Cocktail Party Effect: while}

we only have the ability to attend to one voice among many, when another voice

speaks our name it is instantly brought into our

consciousness.

• _{When we listen to separate}

conversations in each ear, we can only attend to one at a time.

• _{Driving a vehicle, talking on}

phone, tuning in a radio station at the same time divides our attention.

• _{When a situation requires}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Selective Inattention

• _{Inattentional Blindness –}

failing to see visible objects when our attention is

directed elsewhere.

• _{Change Blindness – form of}

inattentional blindness when one fails to notice changes in the

environment.

Selective Inattention

• _{Change Deafness – failure}

to notice a different speaker

• _{Choice Blindness – readily}

defending a choice the participant initially went against (ex.: most attractive faces)

• _{Pop-out phenomenon –}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Sleep & Dreams

• _{We still perceive things in}

our environment while we sleep. (noises, edge of bed)

Biological Rhythms & Sleep

• _{Human body operates on}

two biological rhythms:

– 24-hour biological clock called the circadian rhythm

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Circadian Rhythm

• _{Body temp. – rises as}

morning approaches, peaks during day, and falls before we go to sleep.

• _{Bright light – in the morning}

activates light-sensitive retinal proteins; these in turn signal the SCN in the hypothalamus; SCN tells brain’s pineal gland to decrease sleep-inducing hormone melatonin in a.m. and increase it in p.m.

• _{Bright light at night helps}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

• _{Bright light also serves to}

reset our biological clock (EX – traveling abroad).

• _{Many young people today}

operate more closely on a 25-hour day.

Sleep Stages

• _{There are 5 distinct sleep}

stages, each lasting about 90 minutes.

• _{Yawning – stretches neck}

muscles and increases heart rate, which increases

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Sleep Stages

• _{Alpha waves – the relatively}

slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state.

• _{Delta waves – the large,}

slow brain waves associated with deep sleep.

Sleep Stages

• _{Stage 1: slowed breathing}

and irregular brain waves; fantastic images resembling hallucinations; hypnagogic sensations like floating

weightlessly.

• _{Stage 2: sleep spindles}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Sleep Stages

• _{Stage 3: transitional stage} when brain emits large, slow delta waves.

• _{Stage 4: deep sleep, also} having large, slow delta waves.

• _{Stages 3 & 4 combined last} about 30 minutes.

Sleep Stages

• _{It is usually at end of Stage 4}

(deep sleep) when children may wet the bed or

sleepwalk.

• _{After Stage 4, you ascend}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Sleep Stages

• _{REM Sleep: brain waves are}

rapid and saw-toothed

(similar to awake Stage 1); HR rises, breathing is rapid and irregular, eyes dart

around behind closed lids; genitals become aroused.

Sleep Stages

• _{Motor Cortex is active}

during REM Sleep, but brainstem blocks its

messages, leaving muscles relaxed; body is essentially paralyzed.

• _{Paradoxical Sleep – body is}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Sleep Stages

• _{Rapid eye movements}

announce the beginning of a dream.

• _{REM sleep dreams are often}

emotional, storylike, and richly hallucinatory.

Sleep Stages

• _{Sleep cycle repeats itself}

every 90 minutes.

• _{Stage 4 gets progressively}

shorter throughout the night, then disappears.

• _{REM and Stage 2 get longer.} • _{All of us dream, but most}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Why Do We Sleep?

• _{Sleep patterns may be}

genetically and culturally influenced.

• _{Artificial light, shift work,}

and social diversions keep us up later today.

• _{Unhindered, most adults}

would sleep about 9 hours per night.

Why Do We Sleep?

• _{Brain keeps an accurate}

account of sleep debt for at least 2 weeks.

• _{Sleep commands roughly}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Positive Effects of Sleep

• _{Strengthens Memory} • _{Increases Concentration} • _{Boosts Mood}

• _{Moderates Hunger &}

Obesity

• _{Fortifies the disease-fighting}

Immune System

• _{Lessens Risk of Fatal}

Accidents

Positive Effects of Sleep • _{63% of adults who report}

getting enough sleep also report being very satisfied with their personal life

• _{Only 36% of those saying}

they needed more sleep also reported being very satisfied with their personal life

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Negative Effects of Sleep Deprivation

• _{Difficulty Studying}

• _{Diminished Productivity}

• _{Tendency to make Mistakes} • _Irritability

• _Fatigue

• _{“A large sleep debt makes}

you stupid.”

-William Dement

Negative Effects of Sleep Deprivation

• _{Sleep deprivation increases}

hormone ghrelin (hunger-arousal) and decreases hormone leptin (hunger-suppressor).

• _{Also increases stress}

hormone cortisol, which tells the body to make fat.

• _{In essence…inadequate}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Sleep Boosts our Immune System • _{When we are ill, we tend to}

sleep more.

• _{Individuals who routinely}

get 8-9 hours of sleep per night tend to be more

healthy and live longer.

• _{Traffic accidents in the U.S.}

tend to increase

immediately after the time change that shortens sleep.

Sleep Theories - Function

• _{Sleep protects}

– Ancestral need to be safe at night

• _{Sleep helps us recuperate}

– Restore and repair brain tissue

• _{Sleep is for making}

memories

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Sleep Theories - Function

• _{Sleep feeds creative}

thinking

– Complete nights sleep gives boost to thinking and learning

• _{Sleep may play a role in the}

growth process

– _{During deep sleep, the}

pituitary gland releases a growth hormone

Sleep Disorders

• _{Insomnia – persistent}

problems in falling or staying asleep.

• _{From middle age on, sleep}

is seldom uninterrupted.

• _{Sleeping pills and alcohol}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Sleep Promotion

• _{Exercise regularly, but not}

late at night.

• _{Avoid all caffeine after early}

afternoon; avoid rich foods before bedtime.

• _{Drink a glass of milk; helps}

in the manufacture of

serotonin, a

neurotransmitter that facilitates sleep.

Sleep Promotion

• _{Relax in dim light before}

bedtime.

• _{Sleep on regular schedule.} • _{Hide clock face.}

• _{Manage stress levels.} • _{Settle for less sleep if}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Sleep Disorders

• _{Narcolepsy – sleep disorder}

characterized by

uncontrollable sleep attacks

– _{Attacks usually last less than five}

minutes

– _{Literally means “numbness}

seizure”

– _{Relative absence of a}

hypothalamic neural center that produces orexin (hypocretin) , a neurotransmitter linked to

alretness.

Sleep Disorders

• _{Sleep Apnea – characterized}

by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary

awakenings.

– _{Apnea = “with no breath”} – _{Those it affects are often}

unaware of their disorder

– _{After a minute or so w/o air}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Sleep Disorders

• _{Sleep Apnea}

– Associated with obesity

– Usually with overweight males

– Doctor may prescribe masklike device with air pump

– Loud snoring may be associated with apnea

Sleep Disorders

• _{Night Terrors –}

characterized by high

arousal and appearance of being terrified; unlike

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Sleep Disorders

• _{Night Terrors}

– Target mostly children

– Sleepwalking and sleeptalking also occur during Stage 4

– Children seldom wake up fully during an episode

– As we grow older, Stage 4 sleep diminished as do night terrors

What We Dream

• _{REM dreams are vivid,}

emotional, and bizarre; people often confuse them with reality

– 6 years of our lives are spent dreaming

– _{80% of dreams have at least}

some negative content

– _{Dreams with sexual overtones}

occur infrequently:

• 1 in 10 (males)

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

What We Dream

• _{Most often the manifest}

content (story line) of our dreams is of previous days’ nonsexual experiences

• _{Sensory stimuli in our}

sleeping environment may be woven into our dreams (smells, sounds)

What We Dream

• _{Anything that happens 5}

minutes prior to falling

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Why We Dream

• _{To satisfy our own wishes} • _{To file away memories} • _{To develop and preserve}

neural pathways

• _{To make sense of neural}

static

• _{To reflect cognitive}

development

Why We Dream

• _{To satisfy our own wishes}

– Freud said story line of dream is a censored version of

unconscious drives/wishes

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Why We Dream

• _{To file away memories}

– This is the “information processing” theory

– Dreams help sift, sort, and fix the day’s experiences in our memory

– Brain scans confirm the link between REM sleep and memory

Why We Dream

• _{To file away memories}

– “…if you don’t get good sleep and enough sleep after you learn new stuff, you won’t integrate it effectively into your memories…”

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Why We Dream

• _{To develop and preserve}

neural pathways

– This is the “physiological function” theory

– Says stimulating experiences during REM sleep help to develop and preserve the brain’s neural pathways

Why We Dream

• _{To make sense of neural}

static

– This is the “activation-synthesis” theory

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Why We Dream

• _{To reflect cognitive}

development

– See dreams as part of brain maturation and cognitive development

Dreams

• _{All experts agree that we}

need REM sleep.

• _{Eating any food that may}

cause you to awaken

increases your chance of recalling a dream.

• _{REM rebound – the}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Hypnosis

• _{Hypnosis – a social interaction}

in which one person suggests to another person that certain perceptions, feelings,

thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur.

• _{The power of hypnosis resides}

not in the hypnotist, but in the subject’s openness to suggestion.

Hypnosis

• _{Postural sway – a good test}

to see if you are a highly hypnotizable subject

• _{Good subjects have rich}

fantasy lives, great

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Hypnosis

• _{It is incorrect to believe that}

our lifetime experiences are “all in there”, in reference to the brain and memory.

• _{Hypnotically refreshed}

memories combine fact with fiction; American

courts ban testimony from witnesses under hypnosis.

Hypnosis

• _{Hypnosis does not force}

people to act against their will.

• _{Hypnosis can be}

therapeutic, but not for all things; it is helpful for

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Hypnosis

• _{Hypnosis can relieve pain.} • _{50% of us get some pain}

relief from hypnosis.

• _{Hypnotized patients require}

less medication, recover sooner, and leave the hospital earlier.

Hypnosis

• _{Explained as a social}

phenomena: subjects aren’t “faking it”, it is more like they are actors that are caught up in their roles, and they

experience heightened suggestibility.

• _{When subjects like the}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Hypnosis

• _{Subjects will likely follow}

the requests of the

hypnotist as long as they continue to believe the experiment is still under way.

Hypnosis

• _{Explained as divided}

consciousness

– _{Some believe hypnosis is more}

than people playing “good subjects”

– _{Distinctive brain activity}

accompanies hypnosis

– _{Ernest Hilgard believed hypnosis}

involved social influence and also dissociation, which is a split between different levels of

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Hypnosis

• _{Hypnotic pain relief may}

involve selective attention (Ex: injured athlete feels little or no pain until end of game).

• _{Hypnosis doe NOT block}

sensory input, but it may block our attention to it.

• _{Blending of both theories of}

hypnosis is widely accepted.

Drugs

• _{Psychoactive drugs –}

chemical substances that alter perceptions and

moods through their action at neural synapses

• _{With repeated exposure to}

a psychoactive drug, the drug’s effect lessens

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Drugs

• _{Physical dependence}

– Physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant

withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued.

Drugs

• _{Psychological dependence}

– A psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Drugs and Addiction

• _{Myth 1: Addictive drugs}

quickly corrupt

– People given morphine for pain relief rarely develop the cravings of a drug addict who uses morphine as a mood-altering drug.

– Addiction can/does happen, but a large % of people taking such drugs never experience addiction.

• _{Myth 2: Addictions cannot}

be overcome voluntarily; therapy is required

– As helpful as therapy groups may be, people often recover on their own.

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

• _{Myth 3: We can extend the}

concept of addiction to

include a whole spectrum of repetitive, pleasure-seeking activities.

– _{Addiction as a}

disease-needing-treatment idea is not good. (o.k. for some)

– _{Eating, shopping, exercise,}

sex, gambling, work, etc.

Psychoactive Drugs

• _{3 Categories of Psychoactive}

Drugs:

– Depressants

– Stimulants

– Hallucinogens

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Psychoactive Drugs

• _{Depressants – calm neural}

activity and slow body functions.

– Alcohol

– Barbiturates (tranquilizers)

– Opiates

Depressants

• _Alcohol

– Lowers our inhibitions

– Slows neural processing

– Disrupts memory formation

– Reduces self awareness

*alcohol slows brain activity that controls judgment and

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Depressants

• _{Alcohol leads to disinhibition:}

the urges you would feel if sober are the ones you will more likely act upon when intoxicated (Ex: increasing harmful or helpful tendencies)

• _{Alcohol slows the sympathetic}

nervous system

• _{Alcohol lessens impulse}

control.

Depressants

• _{Alcohol dependence has been}

proven to shrink the brain.

• _{Alcohol also disrupts the}

processing of recent

experiences into long-term memory; it does this by suppressing REM sleep.

• _{Girls and young women may}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Depressants

• _{Expectancy Effects – when a}

user expects certain

behavioral effects of a drug, they will behave accordingly

• _{Alcohol and risky sexual}

activity are correlated

Depressants

• _{Barbiturates (tranquilizers)}

– mimic effects of alcohol – Prescribed to induce sleep or

reduce anxiety

– When sleeping pills

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Depressants

• _{Opiates – opium and its}

derivatives (morphine, heroin)

– Depress neural functioning

– Produces cravings for higher doses

– Extreme comfort of withdrawal

– Brain stops producing endorphins – results are painful

Stimulants

• _{Stimulants excite neural}

activity and arouse body functions.

– Caffeine

– Nicotine

– Amphetamines

– Cocaine

– Ecstasy

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Stimulants

• _{Stimulants…..}

– Increase HR & breathing rate

– Cause pupils to dilate

– Cause appetites to diminish (as blood sugar increases)

– Cause energy and self-confidence to rise

Stimulants

• _{Stimulants effects…}

– Addictive tendencies

– Fatigue

– Headaches

– Irritability

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Stimulants

• _{Methamphetamine}

– 8+ hours of euphoria caused by massive release of

dopamine

– Over time, meth may reduce baseline dopamine levels, leaving the user with

permanently depressed functioning

Stimulants

• _{Methamphetamine}

– Highly addictive

– Irritability, insomnia,

hypertension, social isolation, depression, violent outbursts

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Stimulants

• _{Caffeine – most widely used} psychoactive substance

• _{Nicotine – in cigarettes, kills} 10,000 people per day

worldwide (about 5.4 million per year)

• _{Smoking is a social habit} • _{Quitting causes nicotine}

withdrawal symptoms of

craving, insomnia, anxiety, and irritability

Stimulants

• _{Nicotine is compulsive,}

mood-altering, and reinforcing.

• _{Smoking correlates with}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Stimulants

• _{Cocaine – fast track from}

euphoria to crash

• _{Cocaine depletes the brain’s}

supply of dopamine, serotonin, and

norepinephrine – Sniffed = snorted

– Smoked = free-based

– Crack = crystallized form of cocaine

Stimulants

• _{Ecstasy (MDMA) – both a}

stimulant and mild hallucinogen

– Triggers dopamine release

– Produces an extended serotonin flooding by blocking its reabsorption.

– Produces the “I love

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Stimulants

• _Ecstasy

– Club drug in late 1990s

– Dehydrating effect, causing severe overheating, increased blood pressure, and death

– Permanently damages

serotonin releasing neurons; produces depression

– Suppresses immune system, impairs memory, disrupts sleep

Hallucinogens

• _{Distort perceptions and}

evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.

• _{LSD, MDMA (Ecstasy),}

Marijuana

• _{LSD was accidently created}

in a lab setting

• _{LSD trip may vary from}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Hallucinogens

• _{Hallucinations may be caused}

by drugs, loss of oxygen, or extreme sensory deprivation.

• _{We start with simple}

geometric forms, then more meaningful images like a tunnel or funnel, then possibly feel a separation from the body and become panic-stricken.

Hallucinogens

• _Marijuana

– Active ingredient is THC

– Hemp plant

– Marijuana relaxes, disinhibits, and produces euphoria

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Influences on Drug Use

• _{Some people are}

biologically vulnerable to particular drugs(Ex: alcohol)

• _{Some genes produce}

deficiencies in the brain’s natural dopamine reward system, which is impacted by addictive drugs.

• _{Psychological Factors:}

feeling that one’s life is meaningless and

directionless; experiences of significant stress or

failures; females with

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

• _{Social Factors: most teen}

drinking is done for social reasons; peers influence attitudes about drugs; we tend to be like those we hang with…drug users or non-drug users;

• _{Educate young people} • _{Help young people boost}

their self-esteem

• _{Train teens in refusal skills}

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UNIT 3: CONSCIOUSNESS

Near-Death Experience

• _{Compare closely with}

hallucinogenic experience of replaying old memories, out-of-body sensations, visions of tunnels or

funnels, and bright lights or beings of light

Near-Death Experience • _{Best understood as}

hallucinatory activity of the brain.

• _{Oxygen deprivation turns off} the brain’s inhibitory cells, neural activity increases in the visual cortex.

• _{Solitary sailors and polar}