Introductory Psychology

WINTER 2014

Consciousness

Chapter 6 of Feist & Rosenberg “Psychology: Perspectives & Connections”

Van Selst

Consciousness

Consciousness

one’s awareness of stimuli and events inside and

outside of one’s self;

An awareness of the sensations, thoughts, &

feelings that one is attending to at a given

moment;

Awareness of one’s surroundings and of what’s

on one’s mind at a given moment (per text)

Wakefulness (arousal) vs. Awareness

Van Selst (Winter 2009)

Lucid Dreaming

Vegetative

Minimally Conscious

Persistent Vegetative State

Minimally

Conscious State

Wakefulness & Awareness

Wakefulness: degree of alertness (awake

vs. asleep)

Awareness: monitoring of information from

environment and from one’s own

thoughts

Vegetative State: minimal consciousness;

eyes may be open but person is

otherwise non-responsive

Coma: eyes are closed and person is

unresponsive and unarousable

Glasgow Coma Scale

Illustrations of “UNCONSCIOUS” Processing:

Subliminal Messages? – A stimulus that is presented below the threshold for

awareness

• Greenwald “unconscious self-help” tapes… perceived effectiveness.

• Greenwald/Merikle “perception without awareness”???

Mere Exposure – the more often you see a stimulus, the

• more you come to like it. Form of influence w/o awareness

Priming – Tendency for a recently presented word or concept to facilitate

responses in a subsequent situation. Quicker to read “doctor” after “nurse”

presented than after “apple”

Prosopagnosia – inability to recognize familiar faces, although brain activity

increases despite non-recognition

Blindsight – damage to visual cortex resulting in the encoding of visual info without

awareness

Tip-of-the-Toungue (ToT) Phenomena – some information is present but

unavailable

Consciousness

What constitutes “Subliminal” (below

threshold) Perception?

• Limen: “limit” or threshold …

subliminal… below threshold.

• Which Threshold?

•Problem of declaring an absolute

absence of conscious awareness

Consciousness

Subliminal?Cards down the hall until “cannot identify it” subjectively; but is this truly

“unconscious” despite subjective reports that there is no “conscious” experience of identification.

“nulling consciousness”: required if you are to claim that all information presented is available ONLY to the unconscious (this is a MAJOR problem for “absolute threshold” of consciousness type arguments (e.g., “subliminal perception” is perception below the threshold of consciousness – and thus we should be unaware of it at ANY conscious level).

Multiple-choice versus identification

Explicit vs. ImplicitTask focused versus “other questions” (e.g., which brighter?)

Processes in opposition:place “conscious” knowledge such that it operates in the opposite direction as the

“unconscious” knowledge. For instance, when completing a STEM-COMPLETION task (e.g., D _ _ K), the instruction to include items from the previous memory list versus instructions to exclude the items from the previous memory lists.

Consciousness

Unconscious Influence?

Despite not being

aware of the words

that they “saw”, those

exposed to positive

words were happier

and those exposed to

negative words

reported being

sadder. This indicates

that moods can be

influenced without

awareness

Consciousness

Attention: a state of awareness consisting of the

sensations, thoughts, & feelings that one is

focused on in a given moment

AWARE UNAWARE

CONSCIOUS UNCONSCIOUS

EXPLICIT IMPLICIT

ATTENDED UNATTENDED

Selective attention

• Ability to focus awareness on a single stimulus to the

exclusion of other stimuli.

• Ability to focus awareness on specific features in the

environment while ignoring others (text)

Dichotic listening task (analogy)

• Unable to follow/remember competing conversation.

Cocktail party effect

• Ability to attend selectively to one person’s speech among

competing conversations but highly relevant stimuli still detected

Failures of selective attention

Stroop Interference

Consciousness

Selective Attention

Read the “black words” only

In performing an experiment like this one on man attention car it house is boy critically hat important shoe that candythe old material horse that tree is pen being phone read cow by the hot subject tape for pin the stand relevant view task sky be red cohesive man and car grammatically house complete boy but hat without shoe either candybeing horse so tree easy that phone full cow attention is hot not tape required pin in stand order view to sky read red it nor too difficult

When people do this type of task they do not effectively remember the red words

Selective Attention

What happens to unattended information?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

Van Selst (Winter 2009)

Failures of Selective Attention

Ironic Processes

The harder ones tries to control a thought or behavior, the less likely one is to succeed, especially if distracted, tired, or under stress.

Examples:

1) Do not think about a white bear

2) Subjects instructed to control a pendulum moved it more than those not instructed.

3) Golfers were more likely to overshoot a putt when trying not to do so.

Consciousness

Biological Rhythm

Any periodic fluctuation in a biological organism – 28 day lunar cycle, 24 hour day, 90 min. activity-rest cycle

Circadian Rhythm

Physiologically based

Sleep/wake cycle

Roughly 24.5 hours (book says 25)

Neurological clock

Body temperature warmer (day) and colder (eve) following circadian rhythm

65% of major human error catastrophes [3 mile island, Chernobyl, Exxon Valdez] occur between midnight and 6 AM.

Vehicle accidents 5x more likely at night

SLEEP

Functions of sleep

• Restores neural growth

• Consolidates memory

• Produces enzymes that

protect against cellular

damage

Sleep

Sleep Stage Cycles

Presleep-1-2-3-4-3-2-REM-2-3-4-3-…

What differentiates REM from non-REM sleep?

Why is REM sleep considered “paradoxical sleep”? (see page 231)

Characterized by rapid eye movements (REM), high arousal, frequent dreaming.

Hours of sleep

REM Sleep

Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation and fatigue can lead to:

Capsize / auto accident

Loss of gear

Poor battlefield (and telephone switchboard) performance

Bad tactical decisions

Poor memory retention

Poor situational awareness

Bad medical treatments provided

Physiological fallout Decreased motivation

Reduced efficiency

Loss of judgment

Increased eye-blinks

Increased eye-closures

Incidents of microsleep: a brief (2-3sec) episode of sleep that occurs in the midst of wakeful activity (e.g., driving!) when tired.

Extreme: hallucination (sailing example)

Animal study: rats prevented from sleeping lower body temperature, increased food intake, increased metabolism, weight loss, breakdown of immune system, eventually death.

Sleep

A highly-motivated and well-trained sailor can develop a

sleep regimen that will allow him or her to remain

competitively efficient while averaging 4.5 hours of actual

sleep (not wake-up & settle-down time) per 24 hour

period.

Sleep

Sleep management (Long Distance Sailing)

• very important to establish REGULAR ROUTINES

• can start the REGULAR ROUTINES while ashore

• REGULAR ROUTINES can use rituals (reading, etc.)

• Sleep "surplus" of stored up sleep is not overly effective (but is of some use)

• Light meals keep alertness up; heavy meals can put you to sleep

• Important to stay hydrated

• Important to be comfortable (minimize disturbances)

• If you have to change watch systems, do so as rarely as possible

• Multiple naps (<50% of normal sleep duration) more effective than one "sleep"

• Nap while you are tired, not exhausted

Consciousness

Sleep

Sleep: the 25 hour day…

Larks vs. Owls

“larks see owls as lazy; owls see larks as party-poopers”

(Coleman)

Morning versus Evening

Person

"If you want to improve your sleep efficiency in a

flexible work situation... determine whether you

are a morning person or an evening person.

Then you must understand how many hours of

sleep you usually require"

Morning/evening person is argued to be a basically

immutable characteristic – Age has only a slight

effect on sleep required (requirement decreases

with age).

Sleep

Morning people

Asleep earlier in the evening (88 min. earlier)

Awaken earlier in the morning (72 min. earlier)

Cognitive performance best in morning

Less flexibility to handle schedule changes or irregular

schedules than evening people

Benefits more from 20-min cat-naps than evening people.

Less able to recover from a sleep-deprived situation

Will do better than night people on morning memory tests

(9AM), but worse on evening memory tests (8PM)

Students do better when their schedules match their sleep

styles

Sleep

Sleep and Dreams

Night Work, Sleeping, and Health

Shift work (rotating day and night shifts) is more dangerous

than night work.

• About 200,000 traffic accidents a year are sleep related.

• Those who drive in the middle of the night take

microsleeps.

• Brief episodes of sleep that occur in the midst of a wakeful

activity.

SleepE

RR

OR

S

Sleep

Psychologists used to believe that dreaming occurred infrequently.

Now they believe that REM sleep and dreaming are biologically adaptive.

• Animal Data

• REM rebound

In fact, there is evidence that they are important for brain maturation.

• In newborns, 50% of sleep is REM sleep.

• Later in childhood and adulthood, about 20% of sleep is REM sleep.

SLEEP

Disorders of sleep

• Insomnia

• Sleep apnea

• Sleepwalking

• Narcolepsy

• Cataplexy (lack of muscle control)

• Hypersomnia (intermittent)

Insomnia

Insomnia

• An inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get enough sleep to function during the day

Overcoming insomnia

• Do not nap during the day.

• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and cigarettes within five hours of bedtime.

• Avoid exercise within two hours of bedtime.

• Keep a rigid schedule.

• If awake and anxious, leave bed and return when sleepy.

Self-Help (Insomnia)

Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill

Companies, Inc.

Dreaming

Psychoanalytic theory

• Sigmund Freud

• Manifest level

• Surface level, recalled upon waking

• Latent level

• Deeper, unconscious level, where the true meaning lies

Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill

Companies, Inc.

Dreaming

Biological theory (Brain-Mind State Control)

• AIM theory

• Activation

• Input (In/Out Gating)

• Mode (Modulation)

High NA and

Serotonin

High ACh

Lucid

Dreaming

Copyright 2010 The McGraw-Hill

Companies, Inc.

Dreaming

Cognitive theory

• Dreams are not that different from everyday

thinking

• Standard processes used

• Imagery

• Memory

• Speech

• Problem solving

• Lucid dreaming

Hypnosis

Hypnosis: attention-focusing procedure in which changes in

a person’s behavior or mental state are suggested;

Characterized by focused attention, suggestibility,

absorption, lack of voluntary control over behavior, and

suspension of critical faculties.

• hypnotic susceptibility: responsiveness to

hypnosis; can lead to false memory

• hypnotic anesthesia: for those susceptible,

hypnotic state can lead to pain reduction

Hypnosis

The Myths and Realities

Coercion

• Subjects in hypnosis experiments are aware of what they

are doing.

Pain Relief

• Hypnosis can be used to reduce pain in people high in

hypnotic responsiveness.

Posthynoptic Suggestion

• Can be used effectively when coupled with psychotherapy.

• Can dramatically reduce STROOP interference

Memory Enhancement

• This claim is unsubstantiated (changes in criterion for

reporting [“bias”] but not in accuracy [“sensitivity”]).

Hypnosis

McCann & Sheehan (1988)

False memory endorsement

- Robber wearing a mask

- Entry direction (right)

- Swearing

Hypnotic Analgesia

Can Hypnosis Alleviate Pain?

Meditation

MINDFULNESS: a heightened awareness of the

present moment, of events in one’s environment,

and events in one’s own mind.

Mindfulness meditation

• Can improve attentional skills

• Appears to

• Enhance well-being

• Reduce stress

• Decrease depression

• Improve physical health Van Selst (Winter 2009)

Psychoactive Drugs+ Induce an altered state of consciousness.

+ Affects a person’s emotions perceptions behaviors

Addictive Drugs+ Produce dependence

Biological Psychological

+ Withdrawal leads to a craving for the drug that, in some cases may be nearly irresistible.

DRUGS

Any substance that alters conscious experience

Classifications of Drugs

Stimulants: Cocaine, Amphetamines

Depressants:Alcohol, Barbiturates

Narcotics:Heroin, Morphine

Hallucinogens:Cannabis, LSD

Drugs

Sedatives

Alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines• Slow down of body function, relaxation, drowsiness, possible depression & loss of

consciousness, bizarre thoughts, suicidal behavior, mood swings, limited attention span, slowed mental and physical functioning

• Risk-taking consequences of alcohol; self-facilitating effect of drinking

Stimulants

Caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, cocaine• Speed up of body functions, alertness, energy, elation, increased confidence,

jitteriness, loss of appetite, irritability, insomnia, delayed orgasm

HallucinogensLSD, Marijuana

• Heightened sensory awareness, distorted perception of time and space, hallucinations, euphoria, increased appetite, disoriented behavior

OpiatesHeroin, morphine, codeine

• Suppressed pain, depressed neural action, relaxation, drowsiness, euphoria, apathy, difficulty concentrating, slowed speech, decreased activity, nausea

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