Neuroscience of Consciousness and Attention
57 Questions
2 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to Lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is the primary role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in relation to consciousness?

  • It influences circadian rhythms and acts as the brain's biological clock. (correct)
  • It regulates cognitive processing speed.
  • It mediates self-reports of subjective experiences.
  • It is responsible for behavioral measures of consciousness.

Which of the following definitions best describes consciousness?

  • The ability to divide attention between multiple tasks.
  • A physiological measure of brain activity.
  • The moment-to-moment subjective experience of the world and mental sensations. (correct)
  • An automatic mental process that occurs without awareness.

Which processing type requires volitional control and attentiveness?

  • Controlled processing (correct)
  • Automatic processing
  • Divided attention
  • Circadian processing

What hormone is released by the pineal gland to regulate sleep cycles?

<p>Melatonin (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does divided attention affect task performance?

<p>It is easier when tasks use different cognitive resources. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the effects of cocaine?

<p>It was commonly used as a curative in the 1800s. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of opiates?

<p>They bind to endorphin receptors. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which law states that an increase in stimulus intensity leads to an increase in response intensity?

<p>Law of Intensity Magnitude (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does behaviorism primarily focus on?

<p>Measurable and observable behavior. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is habituation?

<p>A decrease in response probability after repeated exposure. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which best describes phylogenetic behavior?

<p>Behavior traits influenced significantly by genetics. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a fixed action pattern?

<p>A series of instinctual acts performed in response to a specific stimulus. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one limitation of natural selection?

<p>It causes adaptations to become obsolete with environmental changes. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between reinforcement and reward?

<p>Reinforcement occurs only after a behavior is repeated. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes positive punishment?

<p>Adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease behavior. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of negative reinforcement?

<p>Turning off a loud alarm when you get out of bed. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What describes an extinction burst?

<p>A sudden increase in behavior immediately after reinforcement stops. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does shaping work in behavior modification?

<p>By providing reinforcement for successive approximations to the target behavior. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true about discriminative stimuli?

<p>They signal that reinforcement will occur for a particular behavior. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is sensory memory primarily characterized by?

<p>Brief storage of perceptual information for less than 10 seconds. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does operant extinction involve?

<p>Withholding reinforcers that maintain a behavior. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines memory illusion?

<p>A false but compellingly perceived memory. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What effect does positive reinforcement have on behavior?

<p>It increases the frequency and duration of a behavior. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?

<p>Self-actualization (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which theory suggests autonomy, competence, and relatedness as key components of motivation?

<p>Self-Determination Theory (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the glucostatic theory propose about hunger?

<p>Hunger creates a drive to eat when blood glucose levels drop. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which component of emotion refers to the physiological responses such as sweaty palms?

<p>Physiological Component (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the hypothalamus is associated with increased eating when stimulated?

<p>Lateral Hypothalamus (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of the mere exposure effect?

<p>Increased familiarity leading to favorable feelings toward a stimulus. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the Cannon-Bard Theory, what happens when one perceives a stimulus?

<p>Both emotion and physical reactions happen simultaneously. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What hormone is responsible for signaling reduced appetite?

<p>Leptin (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which eating disorder is characterized by binging and purging behaviors?

<p>Bulimia Nervosa (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which concept describes the unconscious expression of emotions through verbal behavior?

<p>Non-Verbal Leakage (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the fading information from memory over time?

<p>Decay (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which method extends short term memory retention by linking stimuli in a meaningful way?

<p>Elaborative rehearsal (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of long term memory involves recollection of personal experiences?

<p>Episodic memory (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the loss of memories from the past?

<p>Retrograde amnesia (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes long term potentiation?

<p>A lasting increase in synaptic strength (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What effect does the tendency to remember words at the beginning of a list illustrate?

<p>Primacy effect (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of drive reduction theory in understanding motivation?

<p>It links motivation to the reduction of internal tension. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these best describes procedural memory?

<p>Memory of how to perform tasks (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does infantile amnesia refer to?

<p>Failure to remember early childhood experiences (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The misinformation effect involves which of the following?

<p>Creation of false memories from misleading information (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What stage of sleep is characterized by delta waves occurring more than 50% of the time?

<p>Stage 4 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which sleep disorder is characterized by sudden attacks of sleep and loss of muscle control?

<p>Narcolepsy (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the Activation Synthesis Theory propose about dreams?

<p>Dreams stem from brain activation during sleep. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What effect does alcohol have on GABA and Glutamate levels in the brain?

<p>Increases GABA, decreases Glutamate (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of substance use disorder?

<p>Significant recurring impairments in life (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Night terrors typically occur during which stages of sleep?

<p>Stages 3 and 4 (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of drugs are classified as stimulants?

<p>Nicotine (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the blood-brain barrier?

<p>Protects the brain from harmful substances (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is substance tolerance?

<p>Body no longer responds to a drug's effects (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which symptom is commonly associated with sleep apnea?

<p>Persistent daytime fatigue (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does hypnosis primarily affect individuals?

<p>Alters perceptions and thoughts (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a symptom of narcolepsy?

<p>Cataplexy (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about dreams according to Freud's theory?

<p>Dreams are primarily wish fulfillments (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What common experience involves the sensation of reliving a new experience?

<p>Deja Vu (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Consciousness

The subjective experience of the world, our bodies, and our thoughts, happening in the present moment.

Cognitive view of consciousness

The study of how our brains process information, similar to how a computer processes data with its hardware and software.

Controlled processing

Mental activities that require your full focus and attention, like solving a complex problem or learning a new skill.

Automatic processing

Mental activities that happen automatically without you needing to think about them, like walking or riding a bike.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Divided attention

The ability to perform two or more tasks simultaneously, but it's harder if the tasks require similar mental resources.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter perception, mood, and thought drastically.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Fixed Action Patterns

A series of instinctive behaviors shared by nearly all members of a species, triggered by a specific stimulus.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Habituation

A decrease in the intensity or probability of a reflex response due to repeated exposure to the stimulus.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Behavior = f(Organism, Environment)

A core principle in behaviorism suggesting that behavior is a function of genetically determined biological factors and environmental influences.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Behaviorism

The study of behavior as its own independent phenomenon, without resorting to mentalistic explanations. It focuses on observable actions and their causes.

Signup and view all the flashcards

General Behavior Traits

A behavioral tendency strongly influenced by genetics, like introversion, anxiety, or activity levels.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Phylogenetic (Evolved) Behavior

The study of evolved behavior, including reflexes, fixed action patterns, and general behavioral traits.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Law of Threshold

The point at which a stimulus becomes strong enough to elicit a response.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Stage 4 Sleep

The stage of sleep where brain waves are the slowest and deepest, characterized by large delta waves and the hardest stage to wake someone from.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by irregular control of sleep-wake cycles, leading to sudden sleep attacks, cataplexy (muscle weakness), and sleep paralysis.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Blood-Brain Barrier

A protective barrier around brain capillaries that prevents certain substances from leaving the bloodstream and entering the nervous system.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Sleep Apnea

A sleep disorder where the airway becomes blocked during sleep, leading to pauses in breathing and daytime fatigue.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Activation Synthesis Theory

A psychological theory suggesting that dreams reflect random neural activity in the brain during sleep, and the brain tries to make sense of it by creating a story.

Signup and view all the flashcards

REM Sleep

The stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movement, increased brain activity, and vivid dreaming.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Stimulant

A psychoactive drug that increases nervous system activity, often leading to feelings of alertness, energy and decreased appetite.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Depressant

A group of psychoactive drugs that decrease nervous system activity, often leading to relaxation, drowsiness, and impaired coordination.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Deja Vu

The feeling of reliving an experience that's new, often attributed to excess dopamine in the temporal lobe.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Hypnosis

A set of techniques that use suggestions to alter perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Night Terrors

A sleep disorder characterized by episodes of sudden waking with screaming, sweating, and confusion, typically occurring during stages 3 and 4 of sleep.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Psychoactive Drug

A psychoactive drug that alters consciousness by changing chemical processes in neurons, leading to changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Sleepwalking

The process of walking while fully asleep, typically occurring during deep sleep.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Stage 2 Sleep

A stage of sleep characterized by the appearance of sleep spindles and K-complexes, representing a transition between light and deep sleep.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Insomnia

A sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.

Signup and view all the flashcards

What is Operant Conditioning?

The study of how consequences from the environment affect behavior.

Signup and view all the flashcards

What are the effects of reinforcing consequences?

An increase in the frequency, duration, intensity, quickness, or variability of a behavior.

Signup and view all the flashcards

What is Positive Reinforcement?

Adding a stimulus to increase the frequency of a behavior.

Signup and view all the flashcards

What is Negative Reinforcement?

Removing a stimulus to increase the frequency of a behavior.

Signup and view all the flashcards

What is Positive Punishment?

Adding a stimulus to decrease the frequency of a behavior.

Signup and view all the flashcards

What is Negative Punishment?

Removing a stimulus to decrease the frequency of a behavior.

Signup and view all the flashcards

What is a Discriminative Stimulus?

A stimulus that signals that a behavior will be reinforced.

Signup and view all the flashcards

What is Operant/Stimulus Generalization?

When an organism responds to stimuli similar to the originally trained stimulus.

Signup and view all the flashcards

What is Operant Extinction?

The process of stopping the reinforcement of a behavior, leading to a decrease in its frequency.

Signup and view all the flashcards

What is an Extinction Burst?

A brief burst of responding following the initial exposure to extinction.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Primacy Effect

The tendency to remember words at the beginning of a list better than those in the middle, often attributed to long-term memory.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Recency Effect

The tendency to remember words at the end of a list better than those in the middle, often attributed to short-term memory.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Semantic Memory

A type of memory for facts and general knowledge about the world, often referred to as declarative memory.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Episodic Memory

A type of memory for personal experiences and events, including when and where they occurred.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Explicit Memory

Memories that we are consciously aware of and can intentionally recall.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Implicit Memory

Memories that we are not consciously aware of, but that still influence our behavior.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Procedural Memory

A type of memory for how to perform skills, habits, and motor actions.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Priming

The phenomenon where exposure to a particular stimulus (like a word) can influence our response to related stimuli.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Engram

A hypothetical physical trace of a memory within the brain.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

A long-lasting strengthening of the connection between two neurons, making it easier for one neuron to activate the other.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Extrinsic Motivation

The idea that we are motivated by external goals, like money, grades, or recognition.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Intrinsic Motivation

The idea that we are motivated by internal goals, like personal satisfaction, learning, or self-expression.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A model that suggests we must satisfy basic needs (like food, safety) before moving to higher needs (like belonging, self-esteem).

Signup and view all the flashcards

Basal Metabolism

The body's rate of energy use, especially when at rest.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Set Point Theory

A set point is the body's preferred weight range, which it attempts to maintain.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Leptin

A hormone produced by fat cells that signals to the brain to reduce appetite and increase energy expenditure.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Lateral Hypothalamus

The part of the brain that stimulates eating when activated.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Ventromedial Hypothalamus

The part of the brain that suppresses eating when activated.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Palatability Effect

The tendency to eat more of a food when it tastes better, even if you're not actually hungry.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Physiological Component of Emotion

A physiological component of emotion, involving changes in bodily responses (like sweating, increased heart rate, or trembling).

Signup and view all the flashcards

Study Notes

Consciousness and Altered States

  • Consciousness is the subjective experience of the world, bodies, and mental sensations. It's a subjective, dynamic, and self-reflective process.
  • Consciousness involves different disciplines, such as physics, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and computer science.
  • Consciousness is measured through self-reports, physiological measures (like EEG), and behavioral measures.

Cognitive View of Consciousness

  • Cognitive psychology views humans as information processors, where the mind is software and the brain is hardware.
  • Controlled processing requires conscious effort and attentiveness, while automatic processing occurs without conscious control.
  • Divided attention is the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, which is difficult when the tasks use similar cognitive resources, like texting while driving.

The Science of Sleep

  • Circadian rhythms are cyclical changes occurring roughly every 24 hours in many biological processes.
  • Circadian rhythms are regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus, which is the biological clock.
  • The pineal gland releases the hormone melatonin, which regulates sleep-wake cycles.
  • Sleep needs vary by age, health, sleep quality, genetics, and species. The recommended amount of sleep ranges from 7-10 hours.

Stages of Sleep

  • Awake and Alert: Characterized by beta waves (greater than 13 per second).
  • Calm Wakefulness: Characterized by alpha waves (8-12 per second).
  • Sleep spindles and K-complexes: Occur during the early stages of sleep and are crucial for good sleep.
  • Delta waves are present in stages 3 and 4, making these the hardest stages to wake a person from.
  • REM sleep is characterized by rapid eye movement, increased brain activity, and dreaming.

Sleep Disorders

  • Insomnia: difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
  • Narcolepsy: characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks, cataplexy (loss of muscle control), and sleep paralysis.
  • Sleep apnea: where breathing consistently stops and starts during sleep.
  • Night terrors: episodes of screaming, sweating, and confusion during deep sleep.
  • Sleepwalking: walking while fully asleep.

Altered States of Consciousness

  • Hallucinations: perceptions in the absence of external stimuli.
  • Out-of-body experiences: sensation that one's consciousness has left their body.
  • Déjà vu: feeling of familiarity with a new experience.
  • Hypnosis: techniques used for altering perceptions, thoughts, and emotions.
  • Drugs: Psychoactive substances that alter consciousness by changing chemical processes in neurons.
  • Drugs can be categorized into:
    • Depressants (alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers)
    • Stimulants (nicotine, caffeine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, cocaine)
    • Opiates (morphine, heroin, fentanyl)
    • Hallucinogens (cannabis)

Learning and Behavior

  • Behaviorism focuses on studying behavior without considering consciousness.
  • Phylogenetic behavior refers to evolved behaviors influenced by genetics and environment. This includes reflexes (responses controlled by the nervous system), and fixed action patterns ("instinct").
  • Habituation involves the decrease in response intensity with repeated exposure to a stimulus.
  • Learning is a change in behavior based on experience.
  • Types of learning include habituation, respondent conditioning, and operant conditioning.

Respondent Conditioning

  • Unconditional stimuli elicit unconditioned responses (without prior learning).
  • Conditional stimuli acquire the ability to elicit conditioned responses after being paired with unconditional stimuli.
  • Extinction occurs when the conditional stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditional stimulus.
  • Stimulus generalization is when a similar stimulus to the conditional stimulus elicits a response.
  • Stimulus discrimination is when only the exact conditioned stimulus elicits a response.

Operant Conditioning

  • Operant conditioning studies how environmental consequences affect behavior.
  • Consequences can either reinforce (increase) or punish (decrease) the behavior.
  • Reinforcing consequences increase the frequency, duration, intensity, or quickness of a behavior, and decrease latency (slowness in response) or increase variability in behavior
  • Positive reinforcement adds a stimulus, while negative reinforcement removes a stimulus.
  • Positive punishment adds a stimulus, while negative punishment removes a stimulus.

Memory

  • Memory illusion: false but compelling memories.
  • Forgetting: deterioration in learning, influenced by retention interval.
  • Sensory memory: stores sensory information briefly.
  • Short-term memory: stores information temporarily for limited duration.
  • Long-term memory: stores information relatively permanently.
  • Types of long-term memory include semantic, episodic, and procedural.
  • The neural basis of memory involves the brain's ability to create new pathways of neuron firings which store engrams.
  • Amnesia is memory loss, and there are different types.

Motivation

  • Motivation is a process influencing behavior.
  • Drive reduction theory suggests that drives (hunger, thirst) motivate behavior to reduce tension.
  • Incentive theory proposes motivation stems from reaching positive goals.
  • Intrinsic motivation comes from internal goals, while extrinsic motivation comes from external influences.
  • Maslow's hierarchy of needs prioritizes physiological needs before higher-level needs.
  • Theories of emotion include common sense, James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, and two-factor theories.
  • The mere exposure effect describes increased positive feelings toward a stimulus with repeated exposure.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Quiz Team

Related Documents

Consciousness and Altered States PDF

Description

Explore the fascinating connections between consciousness, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and attention through this engaging quiz. Test your knowledge about the relevant hormones and how they affect sleep cycles and task performance. Perfect for students of neuroscience or psychology.

More Like This

Melatonin Receptor Agonists: Ramelteon and MOA
17 questions

Melatonin Receptor Agonists: Ramelteon and MOA

ToughestDevotion avatar
ToughestDevotion
Lecture 13
30 questions

Lecture 13

CushyHarp avatar
CushyHarp
Circadian Rhythms and SCN Overview
20 questions

Circadian Rhythms and SCN Overview

PicturesqueOceanWave6430 avatar
PicturesqueOceanWave6430
Cours 2 - Rythmes du cerveau et sommeil (2/2)
38 questions

Cours 2 - Rythmes du cerveau et sommeil (2/2)

RefreshedDaisy3647 avatar
RefreshedDaisy3647
Use Quizgecko on...
Browser
Open
Browser
Browser