PSYC 211 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Animism, Stim, Homo Erectus
22 Aug 2013
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Intro: animism (spirits make things move) to explain human behavior. Believe there"s something intangible that animates us b/c we"re aware of existence. Monism: everything is matter/energy, mind is produced by nervous system. Once we understand workings of human body, esp nervous system, problem will be solved, we"ll be able to explain how we perceive/think/remember/act/self-awareness. Lab only finds manifestations of physical world: matter and energy. Understanding human consciousness: physiological approach: consciousness: humans aware of thoughts/ perceptions/memories/feelings. Can be altered by changes in structure/chemistry of brain, so it is physiological function like behavior. Consciousness related to communication, since ability to send/receive messages with others enables us to send/receive our own message, think and be aware of our existence. Shows behavior can be guided by sensory info of which we"re not aware, perceptions don"t need to enter consciousness to affect behavior. Visual info can control behavior w/o producing conscious sensation; consciousness not general property of all brain.
