Ch. 4: Consciousness, pt. II

Question 1

Manifest content

Answer 1

content of dreams that is what the dreamer remembers of it.

Question 2

Latent content

Answer 2

What the dream symbolizes; the content that is hidden behind symbolism so that the dreamer doesn’t have to confront the conflict directly.

Question 3

Activation-synthesis theory of dreams

Answer 3

(Hobson) posits that random neural firing activates mechanisms that normally interpret sensory input, and then the brain tries to make sense of this by synthesizing it with stored memories. Also, the limbic system –responsible for emotion and reward– is activated while dreaming, which is the source of the emotional content of dreams. Also posits that the deactivation of the prefrontal cortex is why the dreams are allowed to have their illogical structure.

Question 4

Hypnosis

Answer 4

A social interaction during which a person, responding to suggestions, experiences changes in memory, perception, and/or voluntary action. Psychologists disagree on whether hypnosis is really an altered state of conscience.

Question 5

Posthypnotic suggestions

Answer 5

The hypnotist suggests that the subject of the hypnotization experiences a change in memory or perception after the end of their hypnosis session. It is usually accompanied by an instruction to not remember the suggestion after the hypnosis session.

Question 6

Sociocognitive theory of Hypnosis

Answer 6

Psychologists believe that people under hypnosis “play the role of the hypnotized person”. They are not faking being under hypnosis, but rather acts as if the hypnotist is the director and they are part of the cast of a metaphorical play. In other words, hypnotized people behave as they expect hypnotized people to behave. What’s more they

Question 7

neodissociation theory of Hypnosis

Answer 7

acknowledges the social context to hypnosis while also positing that hypnosis is an altered state of conscience. According to this theory, hypnosis is a trancelike state in which consciousness and awareness are separated (ie. disassociated) from other aspects of consciousness.

Question 8

Hypnotic analgesia

Answer 8

Uses hypnosis to basically reduce pain, allowing for less chemical anesthesia to be used.

Question 9

Meditation

Answer 9

A mental procedure that focuses attention on an external object or a sense of awareness. There are two main types: concentrative meditation, and mindfulness meditation.

Question 10

Transcendental meditation description and benefits

Answer 10

Meditating with intense concentration for at least 20 min twice a day. Studies have found that TM: lowers blood pressure, fewer reports of stress, and changes the hormonal response to stress.

Question 11

Runners high

Answer 11

occurs because of a shift in consciousness and is partially mediated by a biological process that includes endorphin release.

Question 12

Religious ecstasy

Answer 12

People lose themselves in the chanting and dancing of religious worship, which decreases awareness of the external world. This is also a shift in consciousness.

Question 13

Flow

Answer 13

A type of experience that is so engrossing and enjoyable that it is worth doing for its own sake even though it can have no consequence outside itself. A person experiencing flow might completely forget to eat, lose track of time, and the person’s skills are well matched with the problem at hand. People can participate in flow activites both to escape their worries, but they mainly participate in order to achieve personal fulfillment.

Question 14

Addiction

Answer 14

Drug use that remains compulsive despite its negative consequences.

Question 15

3 types of depressants

Answer 15

sedatives: have calming effects, Hypnotics: drug that induces sleep, and sedative hypnotics.

Question 16

How do dopamine receptors play into drug abuse?

Answer 16

Activation of dopamine receptors seems to be related to drug abuse in two ways: First, the activation of dopamine receptors is linked with greater reward, or increased liking. Second, the increase in dopamine leads to a greater desire to take a drug, even if the drug does not produce pleasure. Dopamine neurotransmitter systems are mainly involved in stimulants’ effects (not other types, excluding the mixed category of course)

Question 17

How does cocaine get someone high?

Answer 17

Increases the concentration of dopamine in synapses.

Question 18

Effects of habitual cocaine use

Answer 18

Paranoia, psychotic behavior, and violence.

Question 19

How do amphetamines get someone high?

Answer 19

Same as cocaine; they increase the concentration of dopamine in synapses.

Question 20

Side effects of amphetamines

Answer 20

insomnia, anxiety, and potential addiction

Question 21

How does meth get someone high?

Answer 21

It blocks reuptake of dopamine while also increasing its release. It also stays in the body much longer than cocaine and so its effects are prolonged.

Question 22

How do opiods get someone high

Answer 22

They increase pleasure by binding with opiate receptors, while also increasing wanting of the drug by indirectly activating dopamine receptors.

Question 23

How does alcohol produce its effects

Answer 23

Activating GABA receptors, and GABA is the main inhibitor of the nervous system.

Question 24

Tolerance

Answer 24

A physical dependence on a drug to the extent that a person needs more of the drug in order to get high. Failing to ingest a drug leads to symptoms of withdrawal. A person can be psychologically dependent on a drug without showing symptoms of tolerance or withdrawal.

Question 25

Components of the brain important for addiction to drugs

Answer 25

The nucleus accumbens is very important because dopamine activity in it underlies the “wanting” properties of taking drugs. The prefrontal cortex, amygdala, thalamus, and hippocampus are also important in this regard. Another brain region that is very important is the Insula, which seems to be responsible for the craving component of addiction.

Question 26

Traits of vulnerability to addiction

Answer 26

High trait of sensation seeking (a personality trait that involves attraction to novelty and risk taking), as well as genetic components –especially for alcoholism (though there does not exist a single gene associated with addiction). These genetic traits include personality traits such as: risk taking, impulsivity, a reduced concern about personal harm, a nervous system chronically low in arousal, or a predisposition of finding chemical substances pleasurable.