Ch. 4 Consciousness Flashcards
consciousness
one’s awareness of everything going around them at any given moment
waking consciousness
thoughts, feelings, sensations are clear, organized, and person is alert
altered state of consciousness
thoughts fuzzy and disorganized, less alertness, bizarre thoughts
What aspect of circadian rhythms might explain why we tend to feel so tired at night?
There is an organ in the brain (suprachiasmatic nucleus/SCN) sensitive to light changes, which then affects our sleepiness.
circadian rhythms
sleep-wake cycle that occurs over a 24-hr period, controlled by an area in the hypothalamus
serotonin
adaptive theory of sleep
animals and humans evolved sleep patterns to avoid
predators by sleeping when predators are most active
restorative theory of sleep
sleep is necessary and serves to replenish chemicals and repair cellular damage
Which statement is correct concerning how much sleep people need?
Men need more sleep than women.
Most young adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep.
Most older people need at least 10 hours.
Women need more sleep than men.
Most young adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep.
EEG (brain activity while sleeping)
beta waves–> small, fast and wide awake
alpha waves –> larger, slower, relax, drowsy
theta waves–> even larger and slower
NREM (non-Rapid Eye Movement)
deeper, more restful sleep
–first 4 stages of sleep
hypnagogic images
vivid visual elements, realistic, could be a dream, flashes of light
hypnopompic images
dreamlike image, often vivid and resembling a hallucination, sometimes accompanied by sleep paralysis, experienced by a person
REM
body temp increases, eyes move rapidly under the eyelids, heart beats faster, brain waves resemble beta waves, 90% of dreaming happens
sleep disorders
nightmares, REM behavior disorder, sleep walking/somnambulism, night terrors, insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, nocturnal leg cramps, hypersomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, enuresis
nightmares
bad dreams occurring during REM
REM behavior disorder
rare disorder where someone to move during REM and act out a dream
night terrors
extreme fear and screams or runs around during
insomnia
inability to get to sleep, stay asleep or get a good quality of sleep
psych causes: worrying, trying too hard to sleep, anxiety
physical causes: too much caffeine, indigestion, aches & pain
sleep apnea
person stops breathing for nearly half a minute, person not rested, can cause heart problems, obesity primary cause
narcolepsy
person falls immediately into REM sleep during the day without warning
nocturnal leg cramps
painful cramps in calf or foot muscles
hypersomnia
excessive daytime sleepiness
circadian rhythm disorders
disturbances of the sleep-wake cycle such as jet lag
enuresis
urinating while asleep in bed
manifest content
the actual dream itself
latent content
the hidden meaning of the dream expressed only in symbols
activation-synthesis hypothesis
dream is merely another kind of thinking that occurs when people sleep; less realistic and comes from memories & past experiences
–> dreams are products of activity in the pons
activation information-mode model (AIM)
information that is accessed during the waking hrs can have an influence on the synthesis of dreams
hypnosis
state of consciousness in which the person is especially susceptible to suggestion
facts about hypnosis
-can create amnesia for whatever happens during the hypnotic session at least for a brief time
-relieve pain by allowing a person to remove conscious attention from the pain
-alter sensory perceptions
-help people relax in situations that normally would cause them stress
theories of hypnosis
- hypnosis as dissociation–the hidden observer
- hypnosis as social role
major drug categories
stimulants, depressants, narcotics, hallucinogenics
stimulants
increase functioning of nervous system
depressants
decrease the functioning of nervous system
narcotics
opium-related drugs that suppress pain and stimulate nervous system’s sites for endorphins
hallucinogenics
produce hallucinations or increased feeling of relaxation & intoxication
amphetamines
stimulant drugs that speed up messages between the brain and body
cocaine
drug derived from coca plant leaves; induces feelings of euphoria, energy, power, pleasure
withdrawal: mood swing, tiredness, nervousness, compulsive use, loss of control, disregard for consequence of use
nicotine
mild but toxic stimulate, produces “rush” or sense of arousal
–> raises blood pressure, accelerates the heart, stimulate release of adrenaline
-used as insecticide in 1920s-1930s
caffeine
stimulant found in coffee, tea, other plant-based substances, chocolate, soda; helps maintain alertness and increases effectiveness of pain relievers
—> cannot make you sober
barbiturates/major tranquilizers
sedative effect depending on dose; highly addictive, OD can lead to death, withdrawal causes convulsions, combo w/ alcohol or other depressants are dangerous
i.e. Seconal, Nembutal, Amytal
benzodiazepines/ minor tranquilizers
lower anxiety and reduce stress, safer than barbituates, treat sleep problems, nervousness, anxiety
i.e. Valium, Xanax, Halcion, Ativan, Librium, rohypnol (date rape drug)
alcohol
chemical resulting from fermention or distillation of various kinds of vegetable matter
–> dangers: accidents, crime, liver diseases, etc
–> Korsakoff’s syndrome: form of demention
opium
pain relieving and euphoria-inducing properties known for over 2,000 yrs
–derived from opoum poppy
morphine
derived from opium to treat severe pain
heroin
derived from opoum, more addictive than morphine
LSD (lysergc acid diethylamide)
from grain fungus, ergot, colors more intense, sounds more beautiful, etc., very potent
PCP (phenyl cylohexyl piperidine)
feel no warning signal of pain
–> hallucinogen, stimulant, depressant, analgesic
MDMA (ecstasy)
stimulatory hallucinogenics that produce a mixture of psychomotor stimulant and hallucinogenic effects
–> dehydrate body, raises body temp
manufactured highs
LSD, PCP, MDMA
nonmanufactured highs
mescaline, psilocybin, marijuana
mescaline
button shaped ‘seed’ chewed to produce hallucinogenic effects which can last between 12-18 hours
psilocybin
hallucinogenic that causes hallucinations and an inability to discern fantasy from reality. Panic reactions and a psychotic-like episode also may occur, particularly if a user ingests a high dose
==comes from certain types of psilocybe mushrooms.
marijuana
from hemp plant, cannabis satia, induces feeling of well-being, mild intoxication, mild sensory distortions, hallucinations, mild euphoria, relaxation, paranoia, stimulates appetite
