Chapter 13 – The nature of consciousness

Subjective or qualitative properties of experiences that are accessible to introspection

The state of being awake and aware of the one’s own internal states such as feelings and memories

A theoretical explanation of how things work at an atomic and subatomic level

Focused on an individual’s lived experiences within the world.

Presentation of images to each eye which cause a perceptual alternation between the two images rather than a perceptual fusion of both images

Interconnected brain regions involved in functions such as information processing which are revealed by neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI and PET.

A neurological condition whereby patients are able to respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them

A condition characterised by a failure to response to people or objects presented to the side opposite a brain lesion

A neurological condition characterised by the inability to recognise the identity of faces

A specific pattern of brain activity that correlates with conscious experience.

A failure to notice a fully visible object because attention is engaged elsewhere

A non-invasive method that involves externally applying weak electric currents leading to temporary changes in neuronal activity. The technique can be used to selectively activate or inhibit targeted brain structures.

A vegetative state is when a person is awake but is showing no signs of awareness; they may open their eyes, wake up and fall asleep at regular intervals and have basic reflexes; they’re also able to regulate their heartbeat and breathing without assistance

A state of controlled unconsciousness induced through medicines to ensure that you are unaware and unable to feel pain during surgery.

An awareness of one’s own body and internal mental states such as feelings and desires

An evolutionary mechanism whereby organisms that can successfully adapt to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on their genes.

Improved processing (eg faster, easier) of a stimulus when it is repeated compared to when first encountered

An approach where errors are eliminated as much as possible while learning new information.

An approach where errors are not reduced during the learning of new information

A visual technique for assessing the perceptual and memory capabilities of nonverbal individuals such as human infants and animals

A task that is peripheral to the central or main task but that requires some attentional resources to complete

A concern, not just limited to psychology, that the results of some scientific studies are difficult to replicate or cannot be reproduced at all

The ability to focus on goals or plans to achieve a desired behaviour whilst inhibiting information that is not relevant

Stimuli that are exposed to an individual below a threshold for conscious perception of those stimuli

The ability to freely choose between different possible courses of action

The means by which a person interacts with a computer and exchanges information and instructions