Consciousness

Question 1

What is consciousness?

Answer 1

Awareness of self and surroundings operates on a continuum: Focussed alertness to daydreaming to coma

Question 2

What are the altered states of consciousness?

Answer 2

• sleep and dreams
• psychoactive drugs
• meditation
• hypnosis

Question 3

How do we know the states are altered?- subjective experience

Answer 3

• can describe the subjective experience

• but just how different is it?
• can it be put into words?
• can it be remembered?

Question 4

How do we know the states are altered?- objective experience

Answer 4

• can measure objectively

• but people respond differently e.g. hypnosis
• states that are subjectively very different may look similar to outside observer

Question 5

What is the mind-body dualism?

Answer 5

Mind-body dualism = idea that the mind and body are separate

Question 6

What is the hard problem?

Answer 6

The hard problem - Chalmers
How physical processes of the brain give rise to subjective experience. The hard problem of consciousness is the problem of explaining how and why we have qualia or phenomenal experiences – how sensations acquire characteristics, such as colours and tastes

Question 7

What are the dominant/ popular views of consciousness?- monitoring

Answer 7

• attention you experience what you attend to

- inattentional blindness

Question 8

What are the dominant/ popular views of consciousness?- controlling

Answer 8

• plan, initiate and guide actions - future possibilities, choosing between alternatives
• conscious and unconscious processes

Question 9

Unconscious processing- subliminal processing

Answer 9

Subliminal processing = stimuli below threshold for conscious perception can be unconsciously perceived

Question 10

Unconscious processing-subliminal advertising

Answer 10

Subliminal advertising = product placement normalises the product, and we tend to buy products normal to us

Question 11

Unconscious processes- thought suppression

Answer 11

Thought suppression = thoughts must be suppressed into unconsciousness but with recall. Consciously supressing thought causes it to become more conscious

Question 12

Unconscious processes- automatic reading

Answer 12

Automatic reading = supressing reading words to focus on other visual aspects

Question 13

What are psychoactive drugs? What do they do?

Answer 13

Psychoactive drugs (acts primarily on CNS where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behaviour) are classified by effect on behaviour e.g. sedatives/hypnotics, stimulants, opiates (derived from opium e.g. morphine, codeine), hallucinogens/psychedelics

Question 14

What are psychedelics? What do they do?

Answer 14

Psychedelics (hallucinogens which alter cognition and perception): cause hallucinogenic effects such as observing patterns and colours. Have delusional and emotional effects (often cause fear).

Question 15

What are the two types of meditation?

Answer 15

Meditation may be concentrative (one-point meditation) which diminishes sensory input, or open which causes awareness of everything around you but not met with response.

Question 16

Hypnosis definition

Answer 16

A social interaction in which one person (the subject) responds to suggestions offered by another
(the hypnotist) involving alterations in perception, memory, and voluntary action. In the classic case, these experiences and their accompanying behaviours are associated with subjective conviction bordering on delusion, and involuntariness bordering on compulsion.

Question 17

What are the two views on hypnosis?

Answer 17

40% of subjects believe it to be caused by altered consciousness, 60% believe it to be caused by focused attention (so they’re not truly hypnotised)

Question 18

What is the hypnotised state?

Answer 18

1. receptive to suggestions
2. narrowing attention to single source
3. lack of initiative and wilful action
4. trancelike state
   BUT
   • outwardly, can appear fully alert and interacting normally

Question 19

What are positive and negative hallucinations?

Answer 19

Positive hallucinations = see or hear things you don’t normally

Negative hallucinations = can’t’ see or hear things you normally can

Question 20

How are hypnosis and pain relief related?

Answer 20

• moderate evidence of effectiveness -several reviews (e.g. Molton et al, 2007)
• not standard analgesia
-awareness of other sensations
-e.g. cold in room, pain in other limb
-to ignore pain, sensation must first be recognised i.e. noticed to know what to ignore
-top down processing