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Psychology exam > Altered States of Awareness > Flashcards

Altered States of Awareness Flashcards

1
Q

What does state of awareness refer to

A

Our state of awareness refers to the sensations, perceptions, cognitions and emotions we experience. It operates on the biological level of explanation. It is influenced by various factors including over levels of sleep, arousal and stress.

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2
Q

What is a circadian rhythm

A

A circadian rhythm is a behavioural or physiological cycle that occurs over a 24-hour period. Examples include:

  • The sleep wake cycle (Levels of melatonin in response to light levels)
  • Body temperature
  • Alertness
  • Reaction time.
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3
Q

What is the circadian rhythms controlled by

A

Our Circadian Rhythms are controlled by both exogenous and endogenous rhythms that happen daily

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4
Q

Exogenous factors

A
  • Exogenous factors are external and can include showering and dressing each morning, or reading before bed. Habits that signal to your body that it is time.
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5
Q

Endogenous factors

A

-Endogenous factors are internal, biological processes that are influenced by the hypothalamus, such as melatonin levels.

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6
Q

The sleep-wake cycle

A
  • The sleep wake cycle is controlled by melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy.
  • Light enters the eyes and falls on the retina, sending a signal to the suprachiasmatic nucleus via the optic nerve.
  • The suprachiasmatic nucleus then sends a message to the pineal gland which secretes melatonin.
  • When there is more light (Morning), the release of melatonin is reduced. When there is less light (night-time), the secretion of melatonin increases.
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7
Q

Why do we need sleep?

A

Energy conservation
Repair and restoration
Memory consolidation

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8
Q

Energy conservation

A

sleeping allows us to conserve energy as our body temperature lowers and digestion slows. This was an advantage to our ancestors as it enabled them to survive off less food

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9
Q

Repair and restoration

A

during sleep our cells are repaired, the immune system is strengthened and waste products are eliminated from muscles.

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10
Q

Memory consolidation

A

learning is consolidated during sleep, memories are stored allowing them to be accessed later. This may be the basis of our dreams.

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11
Q

Sleep hygiene

A

Sleep hygiene is a variety of different practices and habits that are necessary to have good night-time sleep quality and full daytime alertness.

  • Limit naps to 30 minutes to improve mood and alertness
  • Avoid stimulants like caffeine
  • Avoid carb heavy or fatty foods before sleep
  • Don’t exercise 5 hours before sleep.
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12
Q

Sleep deprivation effects

A
  • Reduced immune system function
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Moodiness
  • Slow reaction times
  • Poor memory
  • Blurred vision
  • Hand tremors
  • Increased sleep debt
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13
Q

Sleep debt

A

Eventually we cannot prevent falling asleep. Our sleep debt works like so:
An average teen needs 9 hours of sleep, if they get 5 they have a debt of 4 hours
However, they do not need to sleep 13 hours the next night to catch up. An additional two hours (11) sleep the next night, and 1 the night after that (10), will often return them to normal.

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14
Q

Micro-sleeps

A

Micro-sleeps are brief periods of sleep that last a few seconds or minutes, they usually occur when sleep debt is high and a person is preforming a monotonous task. Micro-sleeps can be particularly dangerous when driving, or operating machinery. Micro-sleeps caused Chernobyl.

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15
Q

Stage one sleep

A
  • Very light sleep, people are easily woken from.
  • Only lasts a few minutes
  • Eye movements, breathing and heart rate are slowing down.
  • Hypnic jerks occurs at this stage
  • Low frequency theta waves
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16
Q

Stage two sleep

A
  • Sleep is still light, but deepens.
  • Lasts 10-25 minutes
  • breathing, muscle tension, heart rate and temperature decrease as body prepares for deep sleep
  • Theta waves with sleep spindles (high frequency low amplitude) and K complexes (Low frequency, high amplitude).
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17
Q

Stage three sleep

A
  • Sleep deepens and muscles relax further (deep sleep)
  • Low frequency and high amplitude delta/slow waves
  • Delta waves make up less than 50% of brain waves
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18
Q

Stage four sleep

A
  • Lasts 20-30 minutes
  • Deepest stage of sleep
  • Everything continues to decrease
  • If you are woken up during this stage you will be disorientated
  • Delta waves make up more than 50% of brainwaves.
  • Bed wetting, sleep walking and sleep talking.
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19
Q

Stage REM

A
  • Rapid eye movement occurs
  • We dream!
  • Everything increases
  • Almost no muscle movement
  • Features of both light sleep and deep sleep
  • Length of Rem increases over night, with brief awakenings.
  • We are closest to being awake.
  • Interestingly, we go from 1-2-3-4-REM-2-3 (We never go back to stage 1 sleep).
  • During the night, the length of REM periods increases
  • During the night, the amount of deep sleep decreases.
  • A complete cycle of REM and Non-REM sleep lasts 90-100 minutes
  • There are about 4-5 cycles in a normal night’s sleep.
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20
Q

What are brainwaves

A
  • Brainwaves are a way of measuring which stage of sleep we are at. We look at brainwaves via an electro-encephalograph.
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21
Q

What is amplitude

A

the height of the wave

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22
Q

What is frequency

A

the number of waves per second

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23
Q

Stage 1 brainwaves

A

low frequency theta waves

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24
Q

stage 2 brainwaves

A

theta + Sleep spindles and K complexes

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25
Q

What are sleep spindles

A

High frequency and low amplitude

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26
Q

What are K complexes

A

low frequency and high amplitude

27
Q

Stage 3 brainwaves

A

delta waves are lower frequency and high amplitude

28
Q

REM brainwaves

A

beta waves

29
Q

What is a sleep disorder

A

Sleep disorders are sleep problems that disrupt the normal non-rem/rem sleep cycle, including the onset of sleep.

30
Q

What is sleep Apnoea

A

A sleep disorder that involves brief periods where breathing stops. This can lead to daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure and heart problems.

31
Q

What are the two types of sleep Apnoea

A
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnoea – due to an obstruction in the throat during sleep. Snoring is a mild form of this. Usually a result of physical characterisation of the throat, being overweight or drinking alcohol before sleep. It is most common in overweight men over 40.
  • Central Sleep Apnoea – is caused by a delay in the signal from the brain to breathe.
32
Q

Treatments for sleep apnoea

A

Behavioural changes such as losing weight or sleeping on side.

  • C-PAP (Continuous positive airway pressure, a machine that blows air into the nose via a mask, keeping the airway open and unobstructed).
33
Q

What is Narcolepsy

A

A sleep disorders that involves the irresistible urge to sleep. It involves sleep attacks that last from a few seconds to half an hour. Can also involve cataplexy (a complete loss in muscle tension), hallucinations (due to a person going immediately into REM sleep), and sleep paralysis (A side effect of cataplexy).

34
Q

What is the cure for narcolepsy

A

Narcolepsy has a genetic component.
-There is no cure for narcolepsy, however the excessive daytime sleepiness can be reduced by stimulant drugs such as caffeine.

35
Q

What is insomnia

A
  • A sleep disorder that involves problems getting to sleep, staying asleep or waking up.
  • this disorder results in fatigue during the day, and increases in prevalence with age.
36
Q

Factors contributing to insomnia

A

Contributing factors include
Psychological – stress leading to high arousal = an inability to sleep
Lifestyle – caffeine intake
Environmental – noise and light.

37
Q

Interventions for sleep disorders

A

Sleep restriction therapy

Stimulus control therapy

Cognitive behaviour therapy

Bright light therapy

38
Q

Sleep restriction therapy

A

Another intervention that involves limiting the time spent in bed because the person spends too much time in bed trying to sleep. It works by increasing the sleep debt so that the person can fall asleep more easily.

  • The average amount of sleep they get is calculated and then the time in bed is limited to slightly more than this
  • As sleep improves, they go to bed slightly earlier until the desired amount of sleep is achieved.
39
Q

Stimulus control therapy

A

An intervention that involves learning to associate the bed only with sleep, it has strict rules such as; only going to bed when sleepy, only using the bed for sleep, getting up and leaving the room when unable to sleep, waking up at the same time every morning and no napping.

40
Q

Cognitive behaviour therapy

A

Changes negative or unhelpful thinking habits, feelings and behaviour

41
Q

Bright Light therapy

A

Light therapy—orphototherapy, classically referred to asheliotherapy—consists of exposure todaylightor to specificwavelengthsoflight

42
Q

Flight or Fight response

A

The flight or fight response occurs when we receive a threat, shock or surprised; a danger either real or perceived. This response helped our species survive by enabling us to defend ourselves (fight) or run away (flight). Walter Cannon came up with the theory

The response is controlled by the automatic nervous system which is has two parts.

43
Q

Sympathetic nervous system

A
  • The nervous system that prepares our body for action, increasing psychological and physiological arousal.
  • It keeps us alive
  • Activates and lasts seconds
    If the stressor remains, the sympathetic system remains activated, but if it remains activated for a long time, the body will eventually give up.
44
Q

Parasympathetic nervous system

A
  • The nervous system that clams the body down and supports routine functions.
  • ‘Please calm down’
  • 20-50 minutes
45
Q

Physiological arousal in response to stress

A

Increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiration increase oxygen and blood sugar supply to the muscles. Routine functions such as digestion are reduced. Hormones such as adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol are released.

46
Q

Adrenaline (Fight or flight)

A

Increases arousal immediately and is responsible for the immediate reactions. Increases heart rate and a surge in energy.

47
Q

Norepinephrine (fight or flight)

A

acts as a backup for adrenaline

48
Q

Cortisol (Fight or flight)

A

helps maintain fluid balance as immune system weakens.

49
Q

Psychological arousal in response to stress

A

Involves increased alertness and anxiety, which helps you make decision quicker and less based on emotions. The quickest and most logical escape.

50
Q

Arousal and task performance

A
  • The level of arousal that is optimal for task performance depends on two factors: the difficulty or complexity of the task and the individual
  • Simple tasks require higher arousal
  • Hard tasks require less arousal
  • Familiar tasks require higher arousal.
51
Q

Extroverts and arousal

A
  • Extroverts are less easily aroused and therefore need higher arousal.
52
Q

Introverts and arousal

A
  • Introverts have a naturally arousal able brain and prefer less-stimulating environments. Therefore, introverts need lower arousal
53
Q

what is stress

A
  • Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain resulting from adverse circumstances.
  • Stressors can be positive or negative.
  • Stress can have a negative effect on health; effecting the cardio-vascular, respiratory and immune systems.
54
Q

How do we respond to long-term stress

A

General adaption syndrome

55
Q

General adaption syndrome

A
  • This describes the body’s physiological response to stress and how stress affects us long-term.
  • There are three stages: Alarm, Resistance and Exhaustion.
56
Q

Alarm

A
  • In the alarm stage, the sympathetic nervous system’s flight or fight response is activated to combat stress. Only the sympathetic system is activated.
  • Hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) and neurotransmitters are released to prepare for action. Arousal is high, and initially normal resistance levels are lowered.
57
Q

Resistance

A
  • Enter this stage after a few weeks of continuous stress
  • The body remains in elevated arousal, although lower than the alarm stage.
  • If this continues and the stressor is not removed, the body with move on to the next phase.
58
Q

Exhaustion

A
  • High arousal levels can no longer be maintained, as the body’s physiological and psychological reserves are depleted and more severe damage begins to occur.
  • The body become unable to resist infections and struggles to repair tissue
  • Damage is done to the heart, arthritis, ulcers and headaches become more prevalent.
  • People experience anxiety and depression.
  • As a result, people turn to harmful behaviours such as drinking, smoking and a poor diet.
59
Q

Psychological interventions for stress

A
  • Either problem focused or emotion focused.
  • Problem focused deals with the problem, emotion deals with managing emotions.
  • CBT
  • Rational-emotive therapy (irrational v rational thoughts)
  • Problem-solving
  • Support
  • Exercise
  • Relation
  • Time management
  • Healthy eating
  • Enough sleep.
60
Q

Shift work - how do we minimise effects

A
  • Change shifts as little as possible
  • Dark glasses during the day
  • Drink caffeine
  • Take melatonin supplements
  • Bright light therapy.
61
Q

Jet lag

A
  • Occurs when we travel to a different time zone, the circadian rhythms are put out of synchronisation with local time.
  • The body clock will eventually reset to local time via exogenous and endogenous factors.
  • This reset happens at a rate of 1 hour per day spent in the time zone.
  • Less problematic to travel west as it is easier to stay awake than fall asleep.
62
Q

Ethics

A
  • Causing harm by putting people through stressful or sleep deprivation situations (What if they drive home after the study?)
  • People with sleep disorders are regarded as a vulnerable group.
63
Q

What is a disadvantage of napping

A

sleep inertia

Psychology exam (6 decks)

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