PSYCH 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Frontal Lobe, Oxycodone, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
2 Nov 2017
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Chapter 6: The Aware Mind
Consciousness
Pages: 193-212, 219-223
Guided Notes
The Game Plan
What is consciousness?
Consciousness & sleep
Consciousness-altering substances
CONSCIOUSNESS
What does it mean to be conscious?
• Consciousness: knowing or being aware of ongoing experiences occurring
both internally and in the world around us OR a state of awareness
Self-awareness: special understanding and recognition of the self as distinct
from other stimuli
How are some different ways we can look at consciousness?
Variations in alertness – fainting, sleeping
Awareness of current sensations – sensitive to stimuli in current environment or
just conscious of physical sensation
Self-awareness: the understanding that one is alive and separate from other
organisms
Consciousness & evolution
William James argued that consciousness evolves as organisms become more
complex
High levels of self-awareness seem to be limited to more advanced species
Variations in alertness allow organisms to store energy, repair their bodies,
avoid danger
Awareness of sensations: Ability to respond to gander by either fighting,
fleeing, or waiting for more information
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Self-awareness: Heightens our ability to choose appropriate responses to
thread and engage in self-preservation
The Biology of Consciousness
The THALAMUS and the CEREBRAL CORTEX: these brain structures are
involved in communication in the brain, which is necessary for consciousness
The RETICULAR FORMATION helps raise and lower conscious awareness
Sometimes it’s more helpful to understand consciousness by looking at brain
activity instead of brain structures.
The default mode network (DMN): network of brain regions that are active
when the individual is not focused on the outside world and the brain is at
wakeful rest; when we’re not doing or thinking about anything in particular.
Helps to maintain unconscious, background activity to help the brain prepare
for CONSCIOUS THOUGHT
Increases activity during…
• Mind wandering, thinking about the self, and preparing for conscious thought
Decreases activity during…
• Tasks requiring conscious thinking
• Greater activation associated with NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
• On average, spend 50% of time in this state.
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CONSCIOUSNESS & SLEEP
Sleep: normal state of consciousness characterized by reduced awareness of
the environment
Waking: normal state of consciousness characterized by alertness and
awareness of the environment
Circadian Rhythms
Circadian rhythms: a daily biology rhythm that determines sleep and
waking; influenced by light exposure and eating patterns
Sleep and waking follow a cycle
How do circadian rhythms get set?
Biological clock: internal mechanism that provides an approximate
schedule for bodily processes
Sleep, waking, body temp, hunger
What brain structure is this regulated by? Hypothalamus!!
What processes is this structure involved in that is related to our biological clock?
remember the four F’s!
Zeitgebers: external stimuli that help us identify time of day
Examples? Actual clock, the sun in the sky, sun setting/rising
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PSYCH 1100 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
What does it mean to be conscious: consciousness: knowing or being aware of ongoing experiences occurring both internally and in the world around us or a state of awareness. Self-awareness: special understanding and recognition of the self as distinct from other stimuli. Awareness of current sensations sensitive to stimuli in current environment or just conscious of physical sensation. Self-awareness: the understanding that one is alive and separate from other organisms. William james argued that consciousness evolves as organisms become more complex. High levels of self-awareness seem to be limited to more advanced species. Variations in alertness allow organisms to store energy, repair their bodies, avoid danger. Awareness of sensations: ability to respond to gander by either fighting, fleeing, or waiting for more information. Self-awareness: heightens our ability to choose appropriate responses to thread and engage in self-preservation. The thalamus and the cerebral cortex: these brain structures are involved in communication in the brain, which is necessary for consciousness.
