Chapter 10: Consciousness

Question 1

What is “phenomenology”?

Answer 1

Study of individual consciousness (subjective experiences).

Question 2

What is the problem of our minds referring to?

Answer 2

Can’t determine similarity or difference between ours and other’s consciousness.

Question 3

What are the six conscious processes?

Answer 3

Non-conscious, preconscious, unconscious, minimal, full, self.

Question 4

What is a non-conscious process?

Answer 4

Bodily activities like breathing, blood work, pressure, body temp etc.

Question 5

What is a preconscious process?

Answer 5

Accessible only after attention brought to it. Stay in preconscious until needed.

Question 6

What is an unconscious process?

Answer 6

Processing occurs below level of awareness. Freud and repression, subliminal messages.

Question 7

What is a minimal process?

Answer 7

Fragmented connection between self and environment.

Question 8

What is full consciousness?

Answer 8

Aware of both self and environment and able to provide information about it.

Question 9

What is self-consciousness?

Answer 9

Focus on our individual selves.

Question 10

What is a biological rhythm?

Answer 10

Periodic fluctuations in bodily functions.

Question 11

What is circadian rhythm?

Answer 11

24 hour biological cycle. Plays a role in sleep/wakefulness, works through body temp and alertness.

Question 12

What is the suprachiasmatic nucleus?

Answer 12

Located in the hypothalamus. Synchronizes own rhythm with daily cycle of light and dark input from retina. Blind individuals may experience sleeping problems.

Question 13

What is the lightest sleep cycle?

Answer 13

Stage 1 of NREM (non-rapid eye movement).

Question 14

How many levels of NREM are there?

Answer 14

4 stages. 90 minutes to cycle through all.

Question 15

What are some characteristics of REM?

Answer 15

Constitutes 20-25% of adult sleep. Intense brain activity. Most dreaming occurs during REM.

Question 16

What is stage 1 in sleep?

Answer 16

Light sleep that lasts a few minutes.

Question 17

What is stage 2 in sleep?

Answer 17

50% of sleep occurs here, which is somewhat deeper than stage 1.

Question 18

What is stage 3 in sleep?

Answer 18

The beginning of deep sleep.

Question 19

What is stage 4 in sleep?

Answer 19

Deepest sleep.

Question 20

What is consciousness?

Answer 20

Awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Question 21

What are some theories about why we sleep?

Answer 21

Sleep is necessary for rest/recuperation. Required to recover from day’s stress/impact. Preservation/protection theory of hunting during the day when it was safe and food was available.

Question 22

What is somnambulism?

Answer 22

Sleepwalking, occurs during parietal arousal from stage 4 sleep.

Question 23

What is a sleep terror?

Answer 23

Also happens during transition from stage 3 and 4, and usually begins with piercing scream.

Question 24

What are nightmares?

Answer 24

Frightening dreams that happen during REM.

Question 25

What is narcolepsy?

Answer 25

Incurable sleep disorder characterized by excessive dartime sleepiness and uncontrollable attacks of REM sleep.

Question 26

Vivid dreams, story-like, emotional and bizarre. What kind of dreams are these?

Answer 26

REM dreams.

Question 27

Thought like quality dreams are what?

Answer 27

NREM dreams.

Question 28

What is manifest content?

Answer 28

Details, what you can remember from the dreams.

Question 29

What did Freud think of dreams?

Answer 29

Dreams are a symbolic representation of repressed wishes.

Question 30

What is latent content?

Answer 30

Underlying meaning of the dream.

Question 31

What is activation synthesis?

Answer 31

Visual processing area and limbic system are both active during REM sleep, frontal lobe isn't active.

Question 32

What is information processing in relation to dreams?

Answer 32

Dreams help us sort/place the day's experiences into our memories. Slow wave-REM sleep converts experiences into memories and long term learning.