CHAPTER: 8 CONSCIOUSNESS  LECTURE NOTESConsciousness- Attentiono Active cognitive processing of a limited amount of information , selected from the vast amount of information available to the senseso Selective Attention Tracking one message and ignoring another- The Cocktail Party Phenomenono Research of E. Colin Cherry We have the ability to _follow one conversatios despite distractions of other conversations Shadowing- Mindfulnesso Paying deliberate attention to _immediate situation at hand________________o Mindlessnesso Attention is generally a purposeful application of our consciousness, but it also operates _automatically ____ and at _different levels- Stroop Effect-reading is not easily controlled. - Other theories that explain attentiono Filter Theories Donald Broadbent- We filter information _right after it enters into sensory memory Disproved later when research showed that there is certain information that we can pick up even if not attending to it_- Your own nameo Attentional Resource Theories- We have a fixed amount of attention that can be allocated to what the task requireso Multiple pools- Levels of Consciousnesso Preconscious Contains information that could easily become conscious but is not continuously available_ Tip of the tongue- Most common experience of consciousness Subliminal perception Blindsight- Subconsciouso Information is _not easily accessible_.o According to Freud, information that is too anxiety provoking is repressed – kept in the unconscious.  Repression keeps us from being distressed by the information_ Still affects our behaviors- Near-Death Experienceso During this time, people undergo unusual psychological experiences_ Feelings of peace or intense joy Some feel that they have left their bodies Some speak of reunions with friends and family- These experience are more common for those who are ill, least common for those who commit suicide, and _between for accident victimso Possible causes Random firing of the dying brain Lack of oxygen Insufficient blood in occipital lobe can lead to “tunnel effect”- Altered States of Consciousnesso All altered states of consciousness share certain characteristics Cognitive process tend to be more shallow_______ Perceptions of the self or the rowrld are usually different than when awake_ Normal inhibitions or control over behavior weaken- Sleepo Reticular formation Area of the brain responsible for sleep cycleo No neurotransmitter responsible for thiso During sleep, people become RELATIVELY but not TOTALLY unaware of outside stimulio Not clear why we sleep But good sleep is a predictor of longevity_- Why we sleepo Preservation and Protection One view is that sleep serves an adaptive function- Evidence:o Sleep patterns vary depending on _how much time the animal strives to find food.o Sleep patterns vary depending on how well animals can hide themselves when they sleepo Restoration A second view is that we sleep to restore depleted resources and dissipate accumulated waste Sleep has chemical causes- Circadian Rhythmso Biological Cycles that last about 24_ hours in humanso We tend to sleep about8 hours a day Dogs like to sleep around ___16__ hours per day The desert spadefoot toad sleeps for about __9 months____ Snails can sleep for up to _3 years Bullfrogs never sleepo Despite cultural differences, most people sleep and wake with the cycle of sunlight- Sleep Deprivationo 1 sleepless night: _Participants appear cheerful and relaxed_____o 2nd sleepless night: Severe exhaustion by 3:30 AM, if given long test problems, they tend to fall asleep but deny it,_o 3 sleepless nights: _Participants are tense and irritable mood swings_o Microsleep Occurs by 3rd night People stop what they are doing and __stare into space Brain waves resemble those in sleep Visual illusions and hallucinations can occur- Auditory hallucinations are most commono After 4 nights:_Participants become paranoid__- Stage of Sleepo Awake Alpha waves are activeo Stage 1 sleep Alpha waves become smaller and more rapid If awoken, feels like thoughts didn’t make much senseo Stage 2 Spend more than half_ of our sleep in this stage Muscle tension is much lowero Stage 3 Delta_ waves- Large and slower than alpha waves Experience delta waves 20-50% of the timeo Stage 4o Delta waves take up more than 50 % of this stage- Stages of Sleep Continuedo The first four stages are known as N-REM sleep Non-Rapid Eye Movemento The 5th stage is called REM sleep Associated with dreaming__ About 1 hour after stage 1  Hardest to wake people in this stage Although the brain is active, the body is almost entirely paralyzed- Sleep Disorderso Insomnia Affects about _15_% of adults Another 15_% report occasional insomnia Affects primarily women and the elderlyo Sedatives Typically decrease REM sleep, which is also the most revitalizing Tend to keep working during the day Habit formingo Narcolepsy Uncontrollable urge to fall asleep during the day__ Loss of consciousness for about 10 to 15 minutes at a time- Mostly a disorder of the waking state rather than a sleep disorder - Fall right into REM sleep Affects 1 or 2 people in every 1000o Sleep Apnea _A breathing disorder in which a person stops breathing repeatedly_- Can occur hundreds of times a night- Most common in overweight men over 40- Also associated with alcohol consumptiono Sleepwalking Somnambulism Able to see, walk, talk, but usually can’t remember the episode Usually not accompanied by dreaming Occurs in about 30% of children and 2_to 3% of adults It is a myth that waking a sleepwalker will cause them harm- May be more dangerous for you to wake someone up who is sleepwalking since they might be temporarily confused and might strike out- Dreamso Calkins We average about 4 dreams per night Dreams draw on people, places, and happenings of waking life- Why do we dream?o Freud Dreams allow us to express our unconscious wishes in a disguised way- “The royal road to the unconscious”o Others Dreams represent everyday concerns expressed in language that is specificto dreamso Problems-Solving view Dreams are a way for us to work out our problems_o Activation-Synthesis view Dreams are our interpretations of neutral activity that happens at night- Nightmareso Anxiety arousing dreams Tend to increase during