whs ap psychology unit 4: sensation, perception and states of consciousness essential task 4-7:...
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WHS AP Psychology
Unit 4: Sensation, Perception and States of Consciousness
Essential Task 4-7: Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior.
SensationVisionVision
The EyeTheories
HearingHearing
The Ear TheoriesOther SensesOther Senses
SmellTaste
Pain
Gestalt Principles
Perceptual Constancies
Perception
Basic Principles
Basic Principles
Visual Illusions
Depth Perception
Altered States of
Consciousness
Waking Consciousness
Waking Consciousness
SleepSleep
Circadian RhythmStages/REM
DreamsDreams
Disorders
Drug-Altered Consciousness Drug-Altered Consciousness
Depressants
Hallucinogens
Stimulants
HypnosisHypnosis
Hidden Observer
Actor
MeditationMeditation
Substance Abuse
We are here
Daydreaming and Fantasy
Daydreaming and Fantasy
Essential Task 4-7:
• Consciousness– Waking Consciousness
• Theories of Consciousness– Evolutionary Explanation– Tripartite Theory– Stream of Consciousness– Chord of subconscious brain events
– Subconscious Processing– Altered States of Consciousness
• Meditation• Sleep• Dreams• Hypnosis• Daydreaming / Fantasy
Outline
Consciousness
• Waking consciousness– Our awareness of ourselves and our
environment– Thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that
occur when we are awake and alert– Allows us to reflect and plan
• Altered States of Consciousness– A mental state that differs noticeably
from normal waking consciousness
Subconscious processing
• Well-learned tasks become automatic– Driving– Typing
• When you meet people you unconsciously react to their gender, age and appearance
• Subconscious processing– Bird (color, form, movement, distance)
• Unconscious processing is parallel while conscious is linear but good at novel problems
History of Consciousness
1. Psychology began as a science of consciousness. (Titchner and Structuralism)
2. Behaviorists argued about alienating consciousness from psychology.
3. However, after 1960, mental concepts (consciousness) started reentering psychology.
What is waking consciousness?
• Picture this: It is a beautiful spring day and you are walking down a country lane, absorbed in thought. Birds are chirping, roses are in bloom and the sun feels warm on your face. Suddenly, you hear a dog bark and you switch your attention to seeing if the animal means to bite.
• Adapted from How the Brain Might Work: A New Theory of Consciousness By SANDRA BLAKESLEE
How do you – read how does the brain - bind these fragmented sensory signals and perceptions into a single coherent image?
I am at the park about to get eaten by Cujo.
What is waking consciousness?
Evolutionary Reason for Consciousness
• Consciousness as an adaptation allowing us to get along with others in our group (humans)
• Allows us to ‘see’ ourselves and therefore moderate our behavior.
The Stream of Consciousness
– Consciousness results from the activity of the thalamus which analyzes and interprets information in the cerebral cortex.
– “sweeping or scanning” total a rate of 40 times per second
– Each sweep results in a single image or “moment of consciousness”
– Intralaminar nucleus, a kind of doughnut of cells within the thalamus, has nerve cells that send out long axons that reach to every part of the cerebral cortex. Significantly, there are also returning axons that come down from all areas of the cortex back to the intralaminar nucleus.
Consciousness as a Chord of Subconscious brain events.
Neuroscientists believe that consciousness emerges from the interaction of individual subconscious brain events much like a chord that is created from different musical notes.Move wrist - 0.2 seconds prior to moving your wrist, you must decide to move the wrist since it takes that long to travel to the wrist.But it isn’t until 0.35 seconds after that your brain waves jumpIf told to hit a button after a tone you can respond in 1/10th of a second, but won’t show the jump in brain waves until .35 seconds.You live in the past – but only by a bit