Week 4 Psychology. Theory of mind is an individual s understanding that they and others think, feel, perceive, and have private experiences.

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1 Week 4 Psychology Before we explore the concept in detail, let us understand Theory of Mind as well as what Consciousness and Stream of Consciousness are. Theory of mind is an individual s understanding that they and others think, feel, perceive, and have private experiences. An individual s awareness of external events and internal sensations under a condition of arousal, including awareness of the self and thoughts about one s experiences. Stream of Consciousness is a term used by William James to describe the mind as a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts, and feelings. According to James having awareness is more than the sum of its parts. He believes we have private experiences that surround the information received from the world. Sensations, images, thoughts, and feeling that William James spoke can occur at many levels of consciousness. Select each of the sections below to learn more: Higher-level consciousness involves controlled processing, the most alert state of human consciousness, which individuals actively focus on their efforts on attaining a goal; the most alert state of consciousness. Examples: doing a math or science problem; preparing for a debate; taking an at-bat in a baseball game. Lower-level consciousness includes automatic processing that requires little attention, as well as daydreaming. Beneath this level of controlled processes are other levels of conscious awareness. It includes automatic processing and daydreaming. Automatic processing requires little attention and do not interfere with other ongoing activities. Daydreaming lies between active consciousness and daydreaming while asleep. Examples: Punching in a number on a call telephone; typing on a keyboard when one is an expert; gazing at a student. Altered States of Consciousness: Drugs, trauma, fatigue, possible hypnosis, and sensory deprivation can produce this level.

2 Examples: When feeling the effects of having taken alcohol or psychedelic drugs; undergoing hypnosis to quit smoking or lose weight. Subconscious is the state when people are awake, as well as when they are sleeping or dreaming. Example: Sleep or dreaming According to Sigmund Freud, some unconscious thoughts are too laden (burdened) with anxiety and other negative emotions for consciousness to admit them. Examples: Having thoughts that you are aware of; being knocked out by a blow or anesthetized. Sleep is a very important segment of our lives. It must be important because it takes up about one-third of our lifetime, more than anything else. What is sleep, more precisely? Sleep is a natural state of rest for the body and mind that involves the reversible loss of consciousness. Why Do We Need Sleep? Theory One from an evolutionary perspective, sleep may have developed because animals needed to protect themselves at night. Theory two sleep is a way to conserve energy. Theory three sleep is restorative. Final theory centers of on the role of sleep in brain plasticity. There are five different stages to sleep. Select the tabs to learn more about each. Stage one sleep is characterized by drowsy sleep. A person experiences sudden muscle movement called myoclonic jerks. EEGs in this stage are characterized by theta waves, which are slower in frequency. In Stage two, the muscle activity decreases, and the person is no longer consciously aware of the environment. Within this stage the theta wave process continues to exist the slow frequency occur.

3 These stages are characterized by what is called the delta wave the slowest and highest amplitude during sleep. These two stages are also known as the delta sleep. Examples of what happens during these stages include: bedwetting in children, sleepwalking, and sleep talking. However, when individuals are awake they appear to be confused and disoriented. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is an active stage of sleep during which dreaming occurs. Sleep shows fast waves; the sleeper s eyeballs move up and down and left and right. Lack of sleep can be very stressful and have an impact on the body and the brain. When we are sleep deprived, people have trouble think straight or paying attention to task and/or solving problems. Some of the other issues that can take place are Insomnia, which is the inability to sleep, Somnambulism, which is the formal term for sleep walking and sleep talking. This occurs during the deepest stages of sleep. Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder in which individuals stop breathing because the windpipe fails to open or brain fails to work properly. Nightmares are frightening dreams that awaken a dreamer from REM sleep. Night Terrors are sudden arousal from sleep accompanied by intense fear. Drugs that act on the nervous system to alter consciousness, modify perception, and change moods are called Psychoactive Drugs. There are many types of Drugs, Some are: Depressants, such as alcohol. Barbiturates, such as Nembutal and Seconal which decreases the nervous system activity Opiates, (narcotics like morphine and heroin) Stimulants, such as caffeine and nicotine What is Hypnosis? Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness or a psychological state of altered attention and expectation in which the individual is unusually receptive to suggestion. Division consciousness view of hypnosis. According to theorists, Ernest Hilgard, he proposed that hypnosis involves a special state of consciousness in which is split into separate components; one which follows the hypnosis command while the other acts as a hidden observer.

4 Social Cognitive Behavior. The perspective that hypnosis is a normal state in which the hypnotized person behaves the way he or she believes that a hypnotized person should behave. Meditation The attainment of a peaceful state of mind in which thoughts are not occupied by worry; the mediator is mindfully present to his or her thoughts and feelings but is not consumed by them. What is Metacognition? The term metacognition literally means cognition about cognition, or more informally, thinking about thinking. It can take many forms; it includes knowledge about when and how to use particular strategies for learning or for problem solving. Now that you are thinking about metacognitio, you are thinking about thinking about thinking. Wow! What do we mean by biological rhythms? Periodic physiological fluctuations in the body, such as the rise and fall of hormones and accelerated and decelerated cycles of brain activity, which can influence behavior. These rhythms are controlled by biological clocks, which include annual or seasonal cycles such as the migration of birds and the hibernation of bears, 24-hour sleep/wake cycles and temperature changes in the human body. When the human body s regular schedule is not followed, the mind is desynchronized. What are Circadian Rhythms? Daily behavioral or physiological cycles that involve the sleep/wake cycle, body temperature, blood pressure, and blood sugar. What is a Superchiasmatic Nucleus? It is a small brain structure that uses input from the retina to synchronize its own rhythm with the daily cycle of light and dark; the body s way of monitoring the change from the day to night. What are the stages of Wakefulness?

5 While awake, people s electroencephalograph (EEG) patterns are show two types of waves: beta and alpha. Beta waves reflect concentration and alertness- these waves produce high frequencies and go up and down. Alpha waves are associated with relaxation. When we are awake, but still relaxed our brain slows down. Additional Content Go on a caffeine hunt. Check out the ingredient list on your favorite beverages, snacks, and painkillers. Which of these contain caffeine? Watch the video Discovering Psychology 13: The Mind Awake and Asleep. Annenberg/CPB Collection, 1990 (30 minutes). Discussion questions How is your theory of mind demonstrated in your interactions with others? Why might children in individualistic cultures show a mastery of diverse beliefs before understanding knowledge access, while those in collectivistic cultures show the opposite pattern? Why are you are better off because you have awareness?

Outline 3/5/2013. Practice Question. Practice question. PSYC 120 General Psychology. Spring 2013 Lecture 11: States of consciousness

Outline 3/5/2013. Practice Question. Practice question. PSYC 120 General Psychology. Spring 2013 Lecture 11: States of consciousness Outline 3/5/2013 PSYC 120 General Psychology Spring 2013 Lecture 11: States of consciousness The Nature of Consciousness Sleep and Dreams Psychoactive Drugs Hypnosis Meditation Dr. Bart Moore bamoore@napavalley.edu