consciousness
persons subjective experience of the world and the mind
phenomenology
the study of how things seem to the conscious person
problem of other minds
the fundamental difficulty we have in perceiving the consciousness of others (can’t read peoples minds)
minimal consciousness
a low-level kind of sensory awareness and responsiveness that occurs when the mind inputs sensations and may output behavior
full consciousness
a level of consciousness in which you know and are able to report your mental state
self-consciousness
where a person’s attention is drawn to the self as an object
mental control
the attempt to change the conscious states of mind
thought suppression
the conscious avoidance of a thought
dynamic unconscious
hidden thoughts and desires that are kept a secret that one will fight to suppress
repression
a mental process that removes unacceptable thoughts and memories from consciousness and keeps them in the unconscious
cognitive unconscious
all the mental processes that give rise to a person’s thoughts, choices, emotions, and behaviors, even though they are not experienced by the person
subliminal perception
thought or behavior that is influenced by stimuli that a person cannot consciously report perceiving
circadian rhythm
a 24-hour cycle of sleep
REM sleep
a stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements and a high level of brain activity
insomnia
difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep
somnambulism
aka sleep walking: occurs when a person arises while asleep and walks aroimd
activation-synthesis model
the theory that dreams are produced when the brain attempts to make sense of random neural activity that occurs during sleep.
psychoactive drugs
chemicals that influence consciousness or behavior by altering the brains chemical message system
expectancy theory
the idea that alcohol affects peoples expectations of how alcohol will influence them in particular situations
alcohol myopia
a condition that results when alcohol hampers attention, leading people to respond in simple ways to complex situations (loosened inhibitions)
stimulants
substances that excite the central nervous system heightening arousal and activity levels (caffeine, cocaine)
narcotics
(or opiates) highly addictive drugs derived from opium that relieve pain
hallucinogens
drugs that alter sensation and perception and often cause visual and auditory hallucinations
