4.1.1 (6A+B) - psychological construct + measuring sleep Flashcards
Psychological construct
An agreed upon description + understanding of a psychological phenomena that cannot be overtly measured or observed.
Consciousness
The level of awareness that an individual has over their thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and existence.
Normal waking consciousness (NWC)
A state of consciousness in which an individual is awake + aware.
Altered state of consciousness (ASC)
A state of consciousness that is distinctly different from NWC in terms of quality of experience + levels of awareness.
Naturally occurring ASC
Type of ASC that occurs without intervention (eg. sleep, daydreaming).
Induced ASC
Type of ASC that occurs due to a purposeful aid or action (eg. influence of alcohol/drugs, meditation, hypnosis).
Consciousness continuum
Visual representation of the different stages of consciousness that progresses from lower levels of awareness to higher levels of awareness.
Sleep
A naturally occurring ASC that involves a loss of awareness and disengagement with internal + external stimuli.
REM sleep
Type of sleep characterised by rapid eye movement, high levels of brain activity, + low levels of physical activity (low levels of somatic NS activity).
NREM
Type of sleep characterised by a lack of rapid eye movement and can be divided into 3 stages.
NREM 1
Light sleep, hypnic jerks, easily woken, hear faint sounds.
NREM 2
Truly asleep, relatively light sleep, most of time spent in this stage.
NREM 3
Deep sleep, difficult to wake (will feel disorientated if woken), sleep walking + talking.
Sleep episode
Full duration of time spent asleep.
Sleep cycle
Approximately 90-minute periods that repeat during a sleep episode in which an individual progresses through stages of REM + NREM sleep.
Objective measures of sleep
Means of detecting, amplifying, and recording, the electrical activity in the brain, muscles, or the specific muscles that control eye movement (DARE).
Electroencephalograph (EEG)
DARE of the brain.
- Small electrodes placed on scalp to record electrical activity produced by the brain’s neurons.
Electromyograph (EMG)
DARE of the muscles.
- Electrodes placed on skin above muscles to record movement + tension.
Electroculargraph (EOG)
DARE of the muscles that control eye movement.
- Electrodes placed on skin above muscles to measure movement.
Subjective measures of sleep
Involves data that is collected based on personal opinion + often involves self-reports (susceptible to bias + not always accurate).
Sleep diaries
Self-reported records of an individual’s sleep + waking times including estimated time spent sleeping + judgments about quality + nature of sleep.
Video monitoring
Use of camera + audio technologies to record as individual as they sleep.
- Measure observable + overt behaviour.
