Psychology - Mr. Duez
ATASCOCITA HIGH SCHOOL
Consciousness, Part I: States of Consciousness
What is consciousness?
You are aware of you... right?
Individual awareness of your unique thoughts, memories, feelings, sensations & environment.
Conscious experiences are constantly shifting & changing.
Your consciousness may shift from a memory of a friend, to your teacher, to lunch…
Next, you notice how uncomfortable your chair…
This ever-shifting stream of thoughts can change dramatically from one moment to the next, but your experience of it seems smooth and effortless.
Thanks to technology Consciousness is making a scientific comeback
William James: Attempted to study function of consciousness
However, how would one measure that?
Today thanks to sophisticated brain imaging tools & increased emphasis on cognitive psychology...
Consciousness is back!
Recall our discussion about Monism/Dualism:
Dualists: Thought gives humans free will. Consciousness is “external” & continues after the body & brain die.
Monists: Body dies/brain dies/consciousness does, too.
Consciousness
Psychological definition implies that consciousness is NOT like an on/off switch.
We are NOT conscious or unconscious. Psychologists refer to different levels & states of consciousness.
It is ironic that we experience states of consciousness... without being fully aware that we are experiencing them!
Not all researchers agree about what specific levels of consciousness there are, but there are some possible suggestions that most agree to...
Great analogy of conscious behavior:
Conscious
Subconscious
Unconscious
Conscious Level: What you are currently aware of, including yourself & environment.
Nonconscious Level: Body processes controlled by your mind; usually NOT aware: Heartbeat, respiration, digestion, etc.
Preconscious Level: Information about yourself & environment that you are NOT currently thinking about, but could be. (You aren’t currently thinking about your favorite toy as a child, but if asked about it, you would be.)
Subconscious Level: Information we are not currently aware of, but we know must exist due to behavior. (Great example: Mere Exposure Effect - when we prefer stimuli we have seen before over novel/new stimuli, even if we do not consciously remember seeing the old stimuli.)
Unconscious Level: Psychoanalytic psychologists believe some events & feelings are unacceptable to our conscious mind & are repressed. (Many psychologists object to this concept; difficult or impossible to prove)
Conscious
[Nonconscious]
Preconscious
Subconscious
Unconscious
HYPNOSIS
“Highway Hypnosis”
One’s consciousness seems to be divided between driving & one’s conscious train of thought.
Phenomenon consistent idea that hypnosis is a dissociated state of consciousness.
HYPNOSIS & Dissociation
Example: Being hypnotized to be able to withstand pain w/o showing any outward signs of discomfort.
However, when asked to signal if some part of his consciousness is aware of the pain, he raises his hand.
One of the real weaknesses of Hypnosis is that there is no reliable way to determine if a person is hypnotized.
HYPNOSIS & Memory
Myth: Hypnosis can help you remember things that you've forgotten.
Hypnoanalysis became popular after WWI as a means of trying to rid soldiers of their ptsd.
Supposed 'effectiveness' of treatment inspired the ongoing belief that hypnosis works. Validity of hypnosis as a treatment for psychiatric disorders is most directly threatened by lack of empirical evidence.
Waking & Sleeping Rhythms
When we are awake, we are in a state of consciousness.
Consciousness: Active processing of information
It could be thought of as a form of short-term memory & attention combined.
It is the activity running through our heads or minds.
(stream of consciousness)
Brain activity can be measured by using an EEG.
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What are some common Day Dreams & Fantasies?
Why do we daydream?
Dreams can help us prepare for future events
Someone who imagines & recalls experiences with lifelike vividness & who spends considerable time fantasizing.
Fantasy Prone Personalities:
Someone who imagines & recalls experiences with lifelike vividness & who spends considerable time fantasizing.
Fantasy Prone Personalities:
3 Types of Rhythms:
1. Circadian: 24 hour daily cycle.
2. Infradian: Longer than 1 day:
3. Ultradian: Repeated throughout the day. Multiple times.
Biological Rhythms
Annual Cycles: Seasonal variations
(Ex: bears hibernation, seasonal affective disorder)
Circadian Rhythms
Examples of Circadian Rhythms: Graphs show how alertness, core body temp, & secretion of growth hormone typically fluctuate in 24-hr rhythm. Note how body temperatures declines when people fall asleep.
Body temperatures declines when people fall asleep
Circadian Rhythm
24 HOUR biological clock
Body temp & awareness changes
Best to take a test or study during your circadian peaks
Can the circadian rhythm explain jet lag?
Circadian: 24 hr biological processes; may be interrupted by exposure to light
Resets biological clock by affecting suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) & pineal gland which secretes melatonin.
Jet lag & shift work can also knock circadian rhythms out of sync.
Which direction is the most difficult?
Blue: Visiting team flies east, wins 37% of games
Purple: Visiting team does not travel, wins 46% of games
Red: Visiting team flies west, wins 44% of games
Major League Baseball Teams &
Winning percentages due to flights.
SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD):
Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV & DSM-5:
Recurrent major depressive disorder that occurs at a specific time of the year & fully remits otherwise.
Must meet 4 criteria:
SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER:
Prevalence in the U.S. ranging:
From
1.4% in Florida to
9.7% in New Hampshire
Symptoms:
Other symptoms: Lack of energy, difficulty concentrating/completing tasks, withdrawal from friends, family, & social activities, & decreased sex drive.
Light exposure therapy is most effective in treating SAD.