The Conscious Brain
This chapter is broadly divided into levels of consciousness and contents of consciousness. Levels of consciousness are concerned with the degree to which an individual is conscious, such as coma, anesthetic, sleep, and wakefulness. The term state of consciousness is also often applied here as there is controversy as to whether all of these things fall on to a single dimension. Contents of consciousness, on the other hand, assume some degree of consciousness to be present, but different kinds of information (vision, language, memory, imagination, etc.) are brought into focus. The contents of consciousness is considered in terms of a division between awareness of the external world (with most research coming from visual awareness) versus awareness of our internal world (mind wandering, self-awareness, agency).
Multiple Choice Questions
Flashcards
an active process in which a person becomes conscious of their inner states.
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explaining why and how consciousness emerges from a physical system
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observing the detailed neural mechanisms and behaviors associated with consciousness
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in philosophy, a hypothetical person who has the same cognitive capacities as everyone else but lacks consciousness
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second-order awareness of thoughts (e.g., perceiving red may is a first-order state and our confidence in perceiving red is a second-order state)
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the relative degree to which an individual is conscious
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the information that one is presently aware of
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Contents of consciousness
loss of consciousness (low wakefulness, low awareness) due to brain damage
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disorder of consciousness associated with wakefulness but no awareness of self or environment
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a stage of sleep with high signs of wakeful brain activity and often linked to reports of dreaming
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a stage of sleep (consisting of several sub-stages) and generally low signs of wakeful brain activity
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a state where some people report a degree of control over the content of their dreams
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complete paralysis (except for vertical eye movements) arising from brainstem damage, but preserved cognitive ability and normal levels of consciousness
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a disorder of consciousness associated with wakefulness and fluctuating awareness
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the minimal set of neuronal events and mechanisms sufficient for a specific conscious percept (e.g., comparing conscious and unconscious processes to the same stimulus)
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Neural correlates of consciousness (NCC)
presentation of two different images, one to each eye, which typically results in a single image being perceived which alternates over time
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The ‘raw’ feeling of a sensation, the content of awareness
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The ability to report the content of awareness
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a model of the brain as a hierarchically organized system in which higher levels are making predictions (‘best guesses’) about lower levels with an aim of minimising the discrepancy between the levels
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presentation of two different images, one to each eye, where one image initially dominates perception by continuously changing
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Continuous flash suppression
a perception of something that is not present such as hearing voices
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a false belief (not experienced by others)
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a surgical procedure involving severing of the corpus callosum (and potentially other fibres) that connect the two hemispheres
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the feeling that " I" control my own actions and thoughts (a content of consciousness relating to self-control)
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The subjective feeling that voluntary actions are owned and controlled by the actor
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the feeling that the self is located within your body
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a set of brain regions that are activated more during rest or baseline conditions than during an outward-facing task
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Default mode network (DMN)
a stream of thoughts (intentional or spontaneous) that are disconnected from the external environment
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a method for probing participants about ongoing thoughts (e.g., sending a text message and asking what they were just thinking about)
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an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development
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ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder)
a technique to train attention and awareness to achieve a calm and stable state
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The phenomenon that voluntary actions and their sensory consequences appear closer together in time than they really are.
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