PS101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Circadian Rhythm, Preconscious, Edward B. Titchener
Document Summary
What is consciousness: seems like an easy question to answer; the question has been around for a long time, consciousness is the moment to moment awareness of ourselves and environment. What are the properties of consciousness: subjective and private, others cannot directly know our reality (and vice-versa, dynamic, ever-changing, self-reflective, mind is aware of its own consciousness. History of the question: what is consciousness: seemed ideally suited for psychology, difficult topic, no agreement, wundt and titchener were to first to try and document experiments with the conscious mind. Consciousness: perform many mental functions without being aware of it. Does the absence of conscious thought = the unconscious: term unconscious. Infer much from absence of consciousness: freud, nonconscious, preconscious can be brought to mind. Circadian rhythms: brain & environment: circadian rhythms regulated by suprachiasmatic nuclei (scn, scn neurons link to pineal gland, which secretes melatonin, neurons in scn active during daytime.
