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Consciousness

Consciousness. Chapter 5. Can consciousness be studied?. John Watson (Behaviorism) and William James (Functionalism) said no Not observable . Consciousness as a Construct. A construct is something we cannot see, touch, or measure directly i.e. intelligence, emotion

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Consciousness

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  1. Consciousness Chapter 5

  2. Can consciousness be studied? • John Watson (Behaviorism) and William James (Functionalism) said no • Not observable

  3. Consciousness as a Construct • A construct is something we cannot see, touch, or measure directly • i.e. intelligence, emotion • Constructs effect behavior

  4. Meanings of Consciousness • “Awareness” • Sensory awareness • Inner awareness • A sense of self

  5. Consciousness as Sensory Awareness • Using your senses to be aware • Can be unaware of sensory stimulation • Is that stimulation a part of your conscious self? • Unusual stimuli and sudden changes

  6. Consciousness as Direct Inner Awareness • Imagine jumping in a lake… • Imagine jumping off a building… • To figure out complex thoughts one must be aware of the things happening inside of them • Ethical or abstract concepts

  7. Consciousness as a Sense of Self • 3 levels of sense of self • Awareness is more limited in these 3 levels

  8. Preconscious Level • Taking ideas not in your direct awareness and giving them priority • Store information - recall

  9. Unconscious Level • Unavailable to awareness in most circumstances • Hidden information – party example p. 105 • Freud – unconscious desires • Mental strategies – defense mechanisms

  10. Non-conscious Level • Blinking, breathing, etc. • If we had to concentrate on all of these things…

  11. Altered States • Drugs • Meditation • Hypnosis • Dozing off

  12. Section 2: Sleep and Dreams • We spend 33% of our lives sleeping • Circadian Rhythms – biological clocks • Sleepiness / wakefulness • Blood pressure • Temperature • Can be harmful if disrupted continuously

  13. Sleep-Wake Cycle • A full sleep-wake cycle is 24 hours • Removal of certain stimuli can extend this cycle or vice versa

  14. Stages of Sleep • Stages are defined by brain wave patterns • Measured by electroencephalograph (EEG) • Brain waves are cyclical – • Beta, alpha, theta, delta – 4 patterns of brain waves • Falling asleep • Gradual change from beta to alpha • Sensations of falling asleep

  15. Stages Stage 1 – lightest sleep stage Slowing of brain waves Brief dreamlike images Easily awakened

  16. Stages • Stage 1 lasts 30-40 mins • After stage 1 we pass through 2,3, and 4 • 3 and 4 are the deepest sleep – delta waves

  17. Stage Transition • 30 minutes in stage 4 • Transition back to stage 1 – the trip through all 4 cycles takes a total of 90 minutes • When we enter back towards stage 1 some funny things happen:

  18. REM • Breathing becomes irregular • Blood pressure rises • Heart beats faster • Similar to stage one this is REM sleep • Other stages are called NREM • 8 hour sleep – 5 rotations up and down stages • Final REM sleep may last 30 mins or longer

  19. Why do we sleep? • Body reset • Resistance to infection • Life happenings • What happens if we refused to sleep?

  20. Purposes of REM Sleep • Brain cell exercise in adults • Brain development in babies • Better learning capabilities • Comprehension

  21. Dreams and REM Sleep • Some people dream in black and white, some in color • Every time we are in REM sleep we dream • Some are more realistic than others • Some people remember dreams, while others have a hard time • States of consciousness may affect this

  22. Freudian View • Freud said that dreams are wishes your heart makes • People dream in symbols • This allows people to deal with issues that may be too painful to deal with consciously

  23. Biopsychological View • Some psychologists believe that dreams are more biological • Neurons fire at random in the brain that control vision and movement • This could explain why we often dream of things that happened during the day or people we interacted with

  24. No Set of Rules • Psychologists agree that there is no set of rules that defines how to interpret dreams

  25. Sleep Problems • Insomnia – the inability to sleep • “racing mind” syndrome • Forcing sleep makes it worse • Occasional insomnia is common • Several tips

  26. Nightmares and Night Terrors • Many reasons for nightmares: • Traumatic events • Anxious / Depressed • Profession or Activity • Why do nightmares occur?

  27. Night Terrors • Night terrors are turned up nightmares • May cause physical effects while sleeping • Vague after occurrence • Night terrors occur in stage 3 or 4 • Happen in first couple of sleep cycles

  28. Sleepwalking • Sleepwalking is often associated with children • Urban legend says that waking them may cause irrational behavior • Should be supervised if possible because they could hurt themselves

  29. Sleep Apnea • Breathing interruption that happens at night • Usually do not wake up completely • Once they start to breathe normally they go back to sleep • Occur when nasal passages are blocked • May cause snoring • May be related to SIDS

  30. Narcolepsy • People fall asleep no matter what time or where they are • Several short naps and certain drugs have been known to treat this disorder • Can be dangerous

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