Final answer:
The human brain operates with two basic systems: conscious and subconscious. The conscious brain controls cognitive processes and the subconscious manages involuntary activities and processes such as emotions and memories.
Step-by-step explanation:
For the purpose of this course, the human brain is viewed as having two basic operating systems which are conscious and subconscious. The conscious brain includes cognitive functions such as perception, interpretation, imagination, and language that a person is normally aware of. In contrast, the subconscious brain handles processes such as emotions, memories, and involuntary activities like heart rate and respiration that we do not actively control.
The brain's neurological basis for decision-making intertwines conscious choices with unconscious processing. While the cerebrum controls higher mental activities like reasoning, the autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary actions. Both systems are integral to human function, where the conscious mind deals with higher-order cognitive processes, and the unconscious mind manages basic physical processes and instinctive reactions.
At a commonsense level, we think of the brain as the center for thinking, but from a neurobiological standpoint, it's a complex system of chemical changes, and psychologists view it as running a program. The interplay between the conscious and subconscious parts of the brain allows humans to process endless streams of information, react to environmental stimuli, maintain homeostasis, and engage in complex thought processes.