PSYC 1000 Chapter Notes -Cognitive Neuroscience, Visual Cortex, Behaviorism

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1000
• Professor: Benjamin Giguere

Document Summary

At the beginning psychology was the description and explanation of states of consciousness. Emerging school of behaviourism turned to direct observations of behaviour. After 1960, neuroscience advances related brain activity to sleeping, dreaming& mental states. Psychology was affirming the importance of cognition, or mental states. Consciousness our awareness of ourselves and our environment. This awareness allows us to assemble information from many sources as we reflect on our past and plan for the future. It allows us to focus our attention when we learn a complex concept or behaviour. Over time, we flit between various states of consciousness, including sleeping, walking, and altered states. Consciousness helps us act in our long-term interests (by considering consequences) rather than merely seeking short-term pleasure and avoiding pain. Cognitive neuroscience the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with our mental processes. Even in a motionless body, the researchers concluded, the brain and the mind may still be active.