Psychology Ch. 4 States of Consciousness Notes & Text Summary

Introduction: Research: 1950’s: Advances in technology made it easier to study various aspects of consciousness. 1960’s: - Psychedelic and mind altering drugs - Eastern Religions- mystical aspects of faith - Computer “Electric Brain” Today? - Studies with brain injured patients- amnesia and unconscious memory - Learning- ability to learn unconsciously (sleeping) - Experiments by neurophysiologists (EEG, CAT or PET scans)

Consciousness: Def.- our awareness of various cognitive processes, such as sleeping, dreaming, concentration and making decisions.

Waking Consciousness: Def.- mental state that encompasses the thoughts, feelings and perceptions that occur when we are awake and reasonably alert. Processes: Sensation & Perception Learning Memory Thinking Problem Solving Decision Making Intelligence Creativity

Altered States of Consciousness: Def.- mental state that differs noticeably from normal waking consciousness. Processes: Daydreaming Sleep Dreaming - Hypnosis Meditation Under Medication

What is Waking Consciousness? List some external stimuli: List some internal stimuli: List everything (all stimuli) you are exposed to this right now: Why can’t we pay attention to everything at once?

“Its meaning we know so long as no one Conscious Experience “Its meaning we know so long as no one asks us to define it.” -William James Our brain continues to process information outside our immediate awareness and will shift our attention to things that may be especially important. Examples: 1. Breathing, blood pressure, blinking, swallowing, etc. 2. Sign your name 3. Conversation in a crowd “Cocktail Party Effect” 4. Driving

Explaining Waking Consciousness Our waking consciousness seems to have a natural tendency to roam; concentrating on a single task for an extended period requires effort. Explaining Waking Consciousness Summarize William James’s theory of the “Stream of Consciousness”: “a kaleidoscope that transforms internal and external information into a coherent and continuous stream of thought.” What is the hypothesized relationship between the cerebral cortex, the thalamus and a “moment of consciousness”?

What is Sigmund Freud’s theory of Consciousness? Sketch- The driving force behind human actions is sexual and aggressive instincts which are hidden from the waking conscious.

What do Cognitive Psychologists think of Consciousness? Consciousness is subjective or a first person element of information processing. Our sense of “self” is a process and the conscious provides input in times of challenge or need.

Daydreaming & Fantasy Daydreaming: Def.- Apparently effortless shifts in attention away from the here-and-now into a private world of make believe.

The urge to daydream seems to come in waves, surging about every 90 minutes and peaking between noon and 2:00 PM. On the average: People spend almost half of their life daydreaming- this varies from person to person and situation to situation.