Task 7: Consciousness [June 7, 2012, 9:27 a.m.]
In the task we are going to look at the topic of consciousness.
You should start by watching the MIT video which can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvK6YdFKMY8
The Alison syllabus requires you to know about sleep and know about consciousness.
The concept of sleep: Read the following extracts.
... There has been a long history of electrodermal activity research, most of it dealing with spontaneous fluctuations. Most investigators accept the phenomenon without understanding exactly what it means. There is a relationship between sympathetic activity and emotional arousal, although one cannot identify the specific emotion being elicited. The GSR is highly sensitive to emotions in some people. Fear, anger, startle response, orienting response and sexual feelings are all among the emotions which may produce similar GSR responses. ...
See the complete article here:
http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Galvanic_skin_response
... Consciousness refers to a state of being. Meditation alters the state of being by elevating the individual. The study of consciousness can be reduced to the study of physical consciousness, psychological consciousness and spiritual consciousness. Physical consciousness refers to the Brain and Body. The Brain and Body can be studied in great depth using an Electronic Current Generating device and EEG. The current and the brain waves measured give in depth information towards the physical consciousness level. Psychological consciousness refers to the Mind. The study of psychological consciousness requires tools like APZ (Altered States of Consciousness) Questionnaire, GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) and GDV (Gas Discharge VIsualization) in order to evaluate psycho-emotional status and psychological status. ...
See the complete article here:
https://sbs.arizona.edu/project/consciousness/report_poster_detail.php?abs=1569
... When a sleep researcher sets out to study the process of sleep he or she generally relies on three fundamental measures, as the basis for defining stages of sleep. First, gross brain wave activity is considered, as measured by an electroencephalogram (EEG). This machine provides the summary of electrical activity from one area of the brain. Second, muscle tone is measured with a electromyogram (EMG) machine. Third, eye movement is recorded via an electro-oculogram (EOG). ...
... When awake, most people exhibit brain wave, (EEG) patterns that can be classified into two types of waves, beta and alpha. Beta waves are those associated with day to day wakefulness. These waves are the highest in frequency and lowest in amplitude, and also more desynchronous than other waves. That is, the waves are not very consistent in their pattern. This desynchrony makes sense given that day to day mental activity consists of many cognitive, sensory, and motor activities and experiences, and, thus, when awake, we are mentally desynchronous as well. During periods of relaxation, while still awake, our brain waves become slower, increase in amplitude and become more synchronous. These types of waves are called alpha waves.
See the complete article here:
http://web.mst.edu/~psyworld/sleep_stages.htm
... A sleep disorder, or somnipathy, is a medical disorder of the sleep patterns of a person or animal. Some sleep disorders are serious enough to interfere with normal physical, mental and emotional functioning. Polysomnography is a test commonly ordered for some sleep disorders. Disruptions in sleep can be caused by a variety of issues, from teeth grinding (bruxism) to night terrors. When a person suffers from difficulty in sleeping with no obvious cause, it is referred to as insomnia.[1] In addition, sleep disorders may also cause sufferers to sleep excessively, a condition known as hypersomnia. Management of sleep disturbances that are secondary to mental, medical, or substance abuse disorders should focus on the underlying conditions. ...
See the complete article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_disorder
... Daydreaming is a short-term detachment from one's immediate surroundings, during which a person's contact with reality is blurred and partially substituted by a visionary fantasy, especially one of happy, pleasant thoughts, hopes or ambitions, imagined as coming to pass, and experienced while awake.[1] There are many types of daydreams, and there is no consistent definition amongst psychologists, however the characteristic that is common to all forms of daydreaming meets the criteria for mild dissociation.[1] ...
See the complete article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daydream
... Does 'Consciousness' Exist?
William James (1904)
First published in Journal of Philosophy, Psychology, and Scientific Methods, 1, 477-491.
"I believe that 'consciousness,' when once it has evaporated to this estate of pure diaphaneity, is on the point of disappearing altogether. It is the name of a nonentity, and has no right to a place among first principles. Those who still cling to it are clinging to a mere echo, the faint rumor left behind by the disappearing 'soul' upon the air of philosophy. " ...
See the complete article here:
http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/James/consciousness.htm
... Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. Attention has also been referred to as the allocation of processing resources.[1] Examples include listening carefully to what someone is saying while ignoring other conversations in a room (the cocktail party effect) or listening to a cell phone conversation while driving a car.[2] Attention is one of the most intensely studied topics within psychology and cognitive neuroscience. In 1890, William James, in his textbook Principles of Psychology, remarked: “ Everyone knows what attention is. It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought. Focalization, concentration, of consciousness are of its essence. It implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others, and is a condition which has a real opposite in the confused, dazed, scatterbrained state which in French is called distraction, and Zerstreutheit in German.[3] ...
See the complete article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention
... Controlled And Automatic Processing Processing that requires attention uses up limited cognitive (~mental) resources, because short term memory and its input from attention have limited capacity. Short term memory can hold about 7 chunks, so anything that requires conscious processing uses up some of this limited resource. Therefore, if you do two things at the same time that both require conscious, controlled processing, you will do them less well than when you did only one at a time. ...
See the complete article here:
http://www.indiana.edu/~p1013447/dictionary/ctrlauto.htm
... In fact, we now know much more about the function of sleep, and scientists have developed several promising theories to explain why we sleep. In light of the evidence they have gathered, it seems likely that no single theory will ever be proven correct. Instead, we may find that sleep is explained by two or more of these explanations...
Inactivity Theory i_theories1.jpg Arctic Fox at rest. One of the earliest theories of sleep, sometimes called the adaptive or evolutionary theory, suggests that inactivity at night is an adaptation that served a survival function by keeping organisms out of harm’s way at times when they would be particularly vulnerable...
Energy Conservation Theory Although it may be less apparent to people living in societies in which food sources are plentiful, one of the strongest factors in natural selection is competition for and effective utilization of energy resources...
Restorative Theories Another explanation for why we sleep is based on the long-held belief that sleep in some way serves to "restore" what is lost in the body while we are awake...
Brain Plasticity Theory i_theories5.jpg PET scan showing brain activity in a 20-year-old. One of the most recent and compelling explanations for why we sleep is based on findings that sleep is correlated to changes in the structure and organization of the brain. ...
See the complete article here:
http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/why-do-we-sleep
Okay ths was a big topic.
a quick summary.
Make sure you understand the following:
imaging jargon (EEG) etc.
Theories of why we need to sleep
Consciousness and states of consciousness
Consciousness regarding attention, awareness, perceptions and control
Make sure you are able to cite William James, along with other relevent references
Don't forget to work through the course material at - Alisondotcom -
You should start by watching the MIT video which can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvK6YdFKMY8
The Alison syllabus requires you to know about sleep and know about consciousness.
The concept of sleep: Read the following extracts.
... There has been a long history of electrodermal activity research, most of it dealing with spontaneous fluctuations. Most investigators accept the phenomenon without understanding exactly what it means. There is a relationship between sympathetic activity and emotional arousal, although one cannot identify the specific emotion being elicited. The GSR is highly sensitive to emotions in some people. Fear, anger, startle response, orienting response and sexual feelings are all among the emotions which may produce similar GSR responses. ...
See the complete article here:
http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Galvanic_skin_response
... Consciousness refers to a state of being. Meditation alters the state of being by elevating the individual. The study of consciousness can be reduced to the study of physical consciousness, psychological consciousness and spiritual consciousness. Physical consciousness refers to the Brain and Body. The Brain and Body can be studied in great depth using an Electronic Current Generating device and EEG. The current and the brain waves measured give in depth information towards the physical consciousness level. Psychological consciousness refers to the Mind. The study of psychological consciousness requires tools like APZ (Altered States of Consciousness) Questionnaire, GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) and GDV (Gas Discharge VIsualization) in order to evaluate psycho-emotional status and psychological status. ...
See the complete article here:
https://sbs.arizona.edu/project/consciousness/report_poster_detail.php?abs=1569
... When a sleep researcher sets out to study the process of sleep he or she generally relies on three fundamental measures, as the basis for defining stages of sleep. First, gross brain wave activity is considered, as measured by an electroencephalogram (EEG). This machine provides the summary of electrical activity from one area of the brain. Second, muscle tone is measured with a electromyogram (EMG) machine. Third, eye movement is recorded via an electro-oculogram (EOG). ...
... When awake, most people exhibit brain wave, (EEG) patterns that can be classified into two types of waves, beta and alpha. Beta waves are those associated with day to day wakefulness. These waves are the highest in frequency and lowest in amplitude, and also more desynchronous than other waves. That is, the waves are not very consistent in their pattern. This desynchrony makes sense given that day to day mental activity consists of many cognitive, sensory, and motor activities and experiences, and, thus, when awake, we are mentally desynchronous as well. During periods of relaxation, while still awake, our brain waves become slower, increase in amplitude and become more synchronous. These types of waves are called alpha waves.
See the complete article here:
http://web.mst.edu/~psyworld/sleep_stages.htm
... A sleep disorder, or somnipathy, is a medical disorder of the sleep patterns of a person or animal. Some sleep disorders are serious enough to interfere with normal physical, mental and emotional functioning. Polysomnography is a test commonly ordered for some sleep disorders. Disruptions in sleep can be caused by a variety of issues, from teeth grinding (bruxism) to night terrors. When a person suffers from difficulty in sleeping with no obvious cause, it is referred to as insomnia.[1] In addition, sleep disorders may also cause sufferers to sleep excessively, a condition known as hypersomnia. Management of sleep disturbances that are secondary to mental, medical, or substance abuse disorders should focus on the underlying conditions. ...
See the complete article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_disorder
... Daydreaming is a short-term detachment from one's immediate surroundings, during which a person's contact with reality is blurred and partially substituted by a visionary fantasy, especially one of happy, pleasant thoughts, hopes or ambitions, imagined as coming to pass, and experienced while awake.[1] There are many types of daydreams, and there is no consistent definition amongst psychologists, however the characteristic that is common to all forms of daydreaming meets the criteria for mild dissociation.[1] ...
See the complete article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daydream
... Does 'Consciousness' Exist?
William James (1904)
First published in Journal of Philosophy, Psychology, and Scientific Methods, 1, 477-491.
"I believe that 'consciousness,' when once it has evaporated to this estate of pure diaphaneity, is on the point of disappearing altogether. It is the name of a nonentity, and has no right to a place among first principles. Those who still cling to it are clinging to a mere echo, the faint rumor left behind by the disappearing 'soul' upon the air of philosophy. " ...
See the complete article here:
http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/James/consciousness.htm
... Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. Attention has also been referred to as the allocation of processing resources.[1] Examples include listening carefully to what someone is saying while ignoring other conversations in a room (the cocktail party effect) or listening to a cell phone conversation while driving a car.[2] Attention is one of the most intensely studied topics within psychology and cognitive neuroscience. In 1890, William James, in his textbook Principles of Psychology, remarked: “ Everyone knows what attention is. It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought. Focalization, concentration, of consciousness are of its essence. It implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others, and is a condition which has a real opposite in the confused, dazed, scatterbrained state which in French is called distraction, and Zerstreutheit in German.[3] ...
See the complete article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention
... Controlled And Automatic Processing Processing that requires attention uses up limited cognitive (~mental) resources, because short term memory and its input from attention have limited capacity. Short term memory can hold about 7 chunks, so anything that requires conscious processing uses up some of this limited resource. Therefore, if you do two things at the same time that both require conscious, controlled processing, you will do them less well than when you did only one at a time. ...
See the complete article here:
http://www.indiana.edu/~p1013447/dictionary/ctrlauto.htm
... In fact, we now know much more about the function of sleep, and scientists have developed several promising theories to explain why we sleep. In light of the evidence they have gathered, it seems likely that no single theory will ever be proven correct. Instead, we may find that sleep is explained by two or more of these explanations...
Inactivity Theory i_theories1.jpg Arctic Fox at rest. One of the earliest theories of sleep, sometimes called the adaptive or evolutionary theory, suggests that inactivity at night is an adaptation that served a survival function by keeping organisms out of harm’s way at times when they would be particularly vulnerable...
Energy Conservation Theory Although it may be less apparent to people living in societies in which food sources are plentiful, one of the strongest factors in natural selection is competition for and effective utilization of energy resources...
Restorative Theories Another explanation for why we sleep is based on the long-held belief that sleep in some way serves to "restore" what is lost in the body while we are awake...
Brain Plasticity Theory i_theories5.jpg PET scan showing brain activity in a 20-year-old. One of the most recent and compelling explanations for why we sleep is based on findings that sleep is correlated to changes in the structure and organization of the brain. ...
See the complete article here:
http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/why-do-we-sleep
Okay ths was a big topic.
a quick summary.
Make sure you understand the following:
imaging jargon (EEG) etc.
Theories of why we need to sleep
Consciousness and states of consciousness
Consciousness regarding attention, awareness, perceptions and control
Make sure you are able to cite William James, along with other relevent references
Don't forget to work through the course material at - Alisondotcom -