NSCS 200 Exam 3 ACTUAL UPDATED
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Is there a widely agreed upon definition of consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER No
What are the two kinds of consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER Primary consciousness
(C1) and higher-order consciousness (C2)
Define primary consciousness - CORRECT ANSWER conscious perception/awareness of
sensory inputs (sights, sounds, pain etc)
Define higher order consciousness - CORRECT ANSWER being conscious of being
conscious
having a conscious self
the ability to self reflect
What are the two opposite extreme answers to the question: Are animals conscious? - CORRECT
ANSWER 1. Humans are the only conscious beings - Rene Descartes (Dualism)
• "I think therefore I am"
2. Panpsychism: consciousness is a universal (perhaps physical) feature of all things
What can plants do that resembles consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER - Plants can do
classical conditioning: Two stimuli were response of pea plants to grow towards light and air
flow through wind. Over trials, they would put a fan in one of the tubes so plant could sense fan
coming from right or left tube. Immediately followed light after fan. Plants eventually moved
towards direction of fan because that is where light would be
Describe the higher consciousness of crustaceans and cephalapods - CORRECT
ANSWER .Crustaceans and cephalopods (octopus/squid) have pain receptors
(nociceptors). They exhibit complex intelligent behavior.
,How did birds exhibit higher level thinking? - CORRECT ANSWER - Tool use among
New Caledonian crows. Crows can develop tools and use them to get food
- Elements of "episodic-like" memory and planning in scrub jays: They will hide food for the
future out of sight if they notice other birds are around. They can change their behavior around
other birds.
What was Cambridge's answer to the question "Are Animals Conscious?" When did they say
this? - CORRECT ANSWER Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness (july 7 2012)
"Convergent evidence indicated that non-human animals have the neuroemotional,
neurochemical, and neurophysiological subtrates of conscious states...consequently the weight of
evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing neurological substrates that generate
consciousness"
What is David Chalmer's idea of consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER "Hard Problem"
of consciousness
Who came up with the "Hard Problem" of consciousness? When? - CORRECT
ANSWER april 12 1994 David Chalmer (UA)
What question does the hard problem of consciousness seek to answer? What is the "Hard
Problem" of consciousness? What is the easy problem? - CORRECT ANSWER Question:
How do physical processes becomes transformed into conscious experience?
- Structure and function of physical processes=easy problems
- Subjective experience = hard problem, difficult to solve
What is the view towards how the brain correlates to consciousness that disagrees with David
Chalmer's "Hard Problem" - CORRECT ANSWER Reductionist View
What does the reductionist view that disagrees with David Chalmer's "Hard Problem" state? -
CORRECT ANSWER conscious experience fully explained by the brain
,What is an example of the reductionist view - CORRECT ANSWER Global workspace
model: the subjective feeling of consciousness results when the activity of many different
neurons throughout the brain become coherent and broadly accessible by multiple systems,
which often occurs during attention
What is the default mode network - CORRECT ANSWER - gives rise to our conscious
sense of self
- important for higher order consciousness
- Used when we are self reflecting and turning our thoughts inwards
What is one of the most metabolically-active brain networks - CORRECT
ANSWER Default mode network
What disease affects the Default mode network and how? - CORRECT
ANSWER Alzheimer's Disease - amyloid plaques target the default mode network
What parts of the brain in the default mode network are affected by AD - CORRECT
ANSWER lateral and medial PFC
lateral and medial temporal
lateral and medial parietal
How are levels of wakefulness and consciousness measured? - CORRECT ANSWER x
axis: level of consciousness: wakefulness
y axis: content of consciousness: awareness
Define vegetative state - CORRECT ANSWER A vegetative state is when a person is
awake but shows no signs of awareness
- eyes open, but no conscious experience. Unaware.
define locked in syndrome - CORRECT ANSWER almost fully consciously aware and
consciously awake but cannot communicate, move, or speak
, Define a coma - CORRECT ANSWER A coma is when there is no level of
consciousness/wakefulness as well as there is no content of consciousness/awareness
Define REM sleep - CORRECT ANSWER REM sleep is characterized by rapid eye
movements, more dreaming and bodily movement, and a faster pulse and breathing. It is at a
medium level of wakefulness and awareness.
Define lucid dreaming - CORRECT ANSWER Lucid dreaming is when you are aware of
your dreams at a low level of wakefulness.
How is metabolic activity and functional connectivity affected with varying degrees of
consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER Less metabolic activity and functional
connectivity within default network in people with decreasing degrees of conscious awareness
From greatest to least:
control --> minimally conscious state --> vegetative state --> coma
How can you tell between a vegetative state and locked in syndrome? - CORRECT
ANSWER Using fMRI to measure consciousness awareness:
Study: 23 "vegetative state" patients + healthy individuals were asked yes/no questions. Patients
imagined playing tennis if yes and navigating environment if no. Different types of mental
imagery involve motor vs. spatial parts of the brain. 4 patients found to be consciously aware
What percent of immobile brain damaged patients are misdiagnosed as being in a vegetative state
(lacking awareness) - CORRECT ANSWER 40%
What basis allows the tennis vs. navigation test to use? - CORRECT ANSWER Different
operations are mapped onto different parts of the brain
How do psychedelics alter your state of consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Psychedelics like LSD decrease functional connectivity within the default network, leading to a
loss of sense of self
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Is there a widely agreed upon definition of consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER No
What are the two kinds of consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER Primary consciousness
(C1) and higher-order consciousness (C2)
Define primary consciousness - CORRECT ANSWER conscious perception/awareness of
sensory inputs (sights, sounds, pain etc)
Define higher order consciousness - CORRECT ANSWER being conscious of being
conscious
having a conscious self
the ability to self reflect
What are the two opposite extreme answers to the question: Are animals conscious? - CORRECT
ANSWER 1. Humans are the only conscious beings - Rene Descartes (Dualism)
• "I think therefore I am"
2. Panpsychism: consciousness is a universal (perhaps physical) feature of all things
What can plants do that resembles consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER - Plants can do
classical conditioning: Two stimuli were response of pea plants to grow towards light and air
flow through wind. Over trials, they would put a fan in one of the tubes so plant could sense fan
coming from right or left tube. Immediately followed light after fan. Plants eventually moved
towards direction of fan because that is where light would be
Describe the higher consciousness of crustaceans and cephalapods - CORRECT
ANSWER .Crustaceans and cephalopods (octopus/squid) have pain receptors
(nociceptors). They exhibit complex intelligent behavior.
,How did birds exhibit higher level thinking? - CORRECT ANSWER - Tool use among
New Caledonian crows. Crows can develop tools and use them to get food
- Elements of "episodic-like" memory and planning in scrub jays: They will hide food for the
future out of sight if they notice other birds are around. They can change their behavior around
other birds.
What was Cambridge's answer to the question "Are Animals Conscious?" When did they say
this? - CORRECT ANSWER Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness (july 7 2012)
"Convergent evidence indicated that non-human animals have the neuroemotional,
neurochemical, and neurophysiological subtrates of conscious states...consequently the weight of
evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing neurological substrates that generate
consciousness"
What is David Chalmer's idea of consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER "Hard Problem"
of consciousness
Who came up with the "Hard Problem" of consciousness? When? - CORRECT
ANSWER april 12 1994 David Chalmer (UA)
What question does the hard problem of consciousness seek to answer? What is the "Hard
Problem" of consciousness? What is the easy problem? - CORRECT ANSWER Question:
How do physical processes becomes transformed into conscious experience?
- Structure and function of physical processes=easy problems
- Subjective experience = hard problem, difficult to solve
What is the view towards how the brain correlates to consciousness that disagrees with David
Chalmer's "Hard Problem" - CORRECT ANSWER Reductionist View
What does the reductionist view that disagrees with David Chalmer's "Hard Problem" state? -
CORRECT ANSWER conscious experience fully explained by the brain
,What is an example of the reductionist view - CORRECT ANSWER Global workspace
model: the subjective feeling of consciousness results when the activity of many different
neurons throughout the brain become coherent and broadly accessible by multiple systems,
which often occurs during attention
What is the default mode network - CORRECT ANSWER - gives rise to our conscious
sense of self
- important for higher order consciousness
- Used when we are self reflecting and turning our thoughts inwards
What is one of the most metabolically-active brain networks - CORRECT
ANSWER Default mode network
What disease affects the Default mode network and how? - CORRECT
ANSWER Alzheimer's Disease - amyloid plaques target the default mode network
What parts of the brain in the default mode network are affected by AD - CORRECT
ANSWER lateral and medial PFC
lateral and medial temporal
lateral and medial parietal
How are levels of wakefulness and consciousness measured? - CORRECT ANSWER x
axis: level of consciousness: wakefulness
y axis: content of consciousness: awareness
Define vegetative state - CORRECT ANSWER A vegetative state is when a person is
awake but shows no signs of awareness
- eyes open, but no conscious experience. Unaware.
define locked in syndrome - CORRECT ANSWER almost fully consciously aware and
consciously awake but cannot communicate, move, or speak
, Define a coma - CORRECT ANSWER A coma is when there is no level of
consciousness/wakefulness as well as there is no content of consciousness/awareness
Define REM sleep - CORRECT ANSWER REM sleep is characterized by rapid eye
movements, more dreaming and bodily movement, and a faster pulse and breathing. It is at a
medium level of wakefulness and awareness.
Define lucid dreaming - CORRECT ANSWER Lucid dreaming is when you are aware of
your dreams at a low level of wakefulness.
How is metabolic activity and functional connectivity affected with varying degrees of
consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER Less metabolic activity and functional
connectivity within default network in people with decreasing degrees of conscious awareness
From greatest to least:
control --> minimally conscious state --> vegetative state --> coma
How can you tell between a vegetative state and locked in syndrome? - CORRECT
ANSWER Using fMRI to measure consciousness awareness:
Study: 23 "vegetative state" patients + healthy individuals were asked yes/no questions. Patients
imagined playing tennis if yes and navigating environment if no. Different types of mental
imagery involve motor vs. spatial parts of the brain. 4 patients found to be consciously aware
What percent of immobile brain damaged patients are misdiagnosed as being in a vegetative state
(lacking awareness) - CORRECT ANSWER 40%
What basis allows the tennis vs. navigation test to use? - CORRECT ANSWER Different
operations are mapped onto different parts of the brain
How do psychedelics alter your state of consciousness? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Psychedelics like LSD decrease functional connectivity within the default network, leading to a
loss of sense of self
