Quiz 2 Control - The Foundation Of How The Mind Works

Question 1

Basal Ganglia

Answer 1

Stores procedural knowledge - how to do something ie math

Question 2

Single celled organisms

Answer 2

Detector on cell membrane initiates action

Question 3

Patellar Reflex

Answer 3

Does not use brain - comes from spinal cord

Question 4

Habit System

Answer 4

Habitual actions without thinking about it
Built through repetition/learned/conditioning
40% of what we do is habit
Some are instinct

Question 5

Reflexive and automatic actions

Answer 5

Some actions can be done automatically without cognitive control ie walking/chewing
Other habits are well learned ie tying shoes - it’s easier to multi task doing these

Question 6

Cognitive Control - front brain - deliberate

Answer 6

3 main faculties - Attention - Working Memory - Goal Management
Willpower overrides tendency
Goals
Suppresses Older Brain areas
Weakness of will
Rationalization

Question 7

Cognitive control and willpower

Answer 7

Many frontal brain areas have inhibitory connections to other areas
Related to will power
Doing something for reward later even though not fun now
People with more willpower are happier, healthier, live longer, make more money, have better relationships, get better grades
More important to grades than intelligence
Developmental - marshmallow test

Question 8

Cognitive Control

Answer 8

Peaks in early 20’s
Older people have harder time ignoring distractions
Also impaired by sleep deprivation, stress, age, intoxication
Less ability to pass the marshmallow test

Question 9

Reward system

Answer 9

Do things that make you feel good now, not do things that make you feel bad
Helps form habits that make you feel good - optimize good feelings

Question 10

Reward - Wanting (Compulsive)

Answer 10

Wanting/compulsion/motivation system/dopamine system
Not always pleasurable ie over indulging or addictive behaviours
Different from cortical wanting which is goal driven ie immediate urge to eat vs goal to graduate
Wanting - pick a scab - doesn’t feel good

Question 11

Reward - Liking

Answer 11

Liking pleasure - opioid system (and some others)
Compare the compulsion to check your phone vs the expectation of talking to someone - wanting vs liking

Question 12

Mind wandering system

Answer 12

Brain switches from cortical area to default mode network aka mind wandering system - think about things irrelevant to your current environment such as longer term goals
Also anxious thoughts
Activation trade off with cognitive system

Question 13

Analogy - If body is a car

Answer 13

Habits system - disinterested parent driving same route
Cognitive system - the other parent in the passenger seat telling driver where they should go
Reward system - kid screaming for ice cream in back seat
Mind wandering system - car radio playing ad for weight loss program

Question 14

Concentration

Answer 14

Concentration will give a competitive advantage
Urge to check phone most people will respond to phone notifications - if avoided will give advantage

Question 15

Information Foraging

Answer 15

We are hungry for information
Explore
Boredom/anxiety drive us to new sources
Exploit
We forage until we find something else ie keep changing apps on iPhone facebook/instagram/tiktok

Question 16

Distraction Cycle

Answer 16

Boredom drives task switching
Get easily bored - rapid unpredictable rewards - task switching
Mind optimizes something - that something is non productive

Question 17

Hacking your habits

Answer 17

Habits don’t get broken - they get replaced
Habits are triggered by perceived situation
H - Humans you are around
A - Activity
B - Bearings (location)
I - Internal states (hunger)
T - Time of day
It easier to change habits when your life changes because triggers change
Use willpower until habits set

Question 18

Improving cognitive control in the moment

Answer 18

Turn off notifications - power off your phone
Meditation
Exercise - cognitive improves willpower ie tennis (engages cognitive system) vs running
Knowledge of how mind worlds
Sleep
Installing the right values
Practicing willpower use ie use left hand to brush teeth
Self forgiveness
The six second rule - action within 6 seconds of thought

Question 19

The right ambitions

Answer 19

Ambitious people have better education, more prestige, make more money
Extrinsic Ambition (money, looking good, fame) dimished happiness
Intrinsic ambition (community, health, self acceptance) increased happiness
Not living up to your standards can lead to misery

Question 20

Improving Habits

Answer 20

Triggered by:
H - Humans
A - Activity
B - Bearings (location)
I - Internal States (hunger)
T - Time of day

Question 21

Change Habit

Answer 21

Change habit by altering exposure to trigger
Better - replace with new habit for same trigger
Assess why - lead to developing best habit to replace ie grumpy - tired - take walk or nap

Question 22

Start Good Habit

Answer 22

More effective when there is a life change
Works better with cue - I will exercise every morning before lunch - run
Break into smaller segments - put running shoes on
Have a community - run club

Question 23

Improving the reward system

Answer 23

Works better than punishment
Punishment doesn’t work if you are the one punishing yourself - doesn’t last
Reward works better - save something you love for when you do/have done thing you want to do more of
Temptation bundling - only watch tv on treadmill
Make it harder to do tempting thing - put candy away in container vs keep things handy you want to do more of
Changing environment is easier than using will power