key terms and concepts chapter 2.

2. the presumption proposed by Rene Descartes that the human mind and body are two distinct entities that interact with each other to make a person. Descartes reasoned that the mind and the body communicate with each other through a small structure at the base of the brain called the pineal gland.
5. refers to the states of consciousness associated with being awake and aware of our thoughts, memories, feelings and the sensations we are experiencing from the outside world
11. automatic processing has been demonstrated by this
12. the awareness of objects and events in the external world and of our own existence and mental experiences at any given moment.
13. a concentration of mental activity that involves focusing on a specific stimulus while ignoring other stimuli

1. _____________ refers to the ability to distribute our attention and undertake two or more activities simultaneously
3. in normal waking consciousness this is more limited than when in an altered state
4. involves conscious, alert awareness and mental effort in which the individual actively focuses their attention on achieving a particular goal
6. processes requires little conscious awareness and mental effort, minimal attention and does not interfere with the performance of other activities
7. you are at a party, loud music is playing and you are surrounded by many conversations. despite being totally involved in one conversation, your attention is likely to be automatically drawn to a different conversation if you hear your name is mentioned. this commonly occurring experience is known as the __________________
8. the level of awareness of our internal state and external surroundings, that determines how much of this information we take in and respond to
9. involves choosing and attending to a specific stimulus to the exclusion of others
10. i am thinking, therefore i exist