Ch 4.1-4.3 Flashcards
Selective attention
process where one input is attended to while the rest are tuned out
focusing our conscious awareness on a particular stimulus or group of stimuli
Why is selective attention necessary?
Because we do not have the capacity to pay attention to everything in the environment
resource model suggest that we have limited capacity to pay attention and so we must devote our resources carefully
Dichotic listening set up
one way to study selective attention
person wears headphones and each ear hears a different dialogue
individual is instructed to listen to info coming into 1 ear, called the attended channel and ignore input of the other ear, the unattended channel
Observation from dichotic listening experiment
people are able to remember some of the message from the attended ear but lose almost everything from the unattended ear
same observation is made with visual stimuli ; when people are told to focus on one visual aspect, they may miss other visual details
Daniel Broadbent`s impression of the brain
processing system with limited capacity and sought to map out steps in creating memories from raw data
Broadbent filter model of selective attention
inputs from environment first enter a sensory buffer
one of inputs is selected and filtered based on physical characteristics of the input ( ex. sensory modality) ( a selective filter exists which is based on physical properties of the sensory input)
other sensory info stays in sensory buffer briefly, but then quickly decays
at this point, the info is still raw data that has just been filtered, it is not yet transformed
next the info enters short term memory storage, where semantic ( meaning making) processes occur
What is the purpose of the thereotical filter in Broadbent`s model?
keep us from being overwhelmed or overloaded with info
Broadbent`s theory and he dichotic listening task
only info from the attended ear is allowed thru
if input in the sensory buffer does not go thru the filter, the theory proposes that it remains briefly and then quickly decays and dissapears
Cocktail party effect
Phenomenon in which we are able to catch information of unimportance from previously unattended channels
cocktail party effect and filter model of attention
effect not accounted for by the filter model
thus, adaptations were made of he model which suggests that the info from the unattended ear is not completely tuned out, but dampened
Anne treismans attenuation model
can be seen as a revision of Broadbent’s theory
tried to account for cocktail party effect
believed that rather than a filter, mind has an attenuator which works like a volume knob and turns down unattended sensory input
Difference between attenuation model and filter model
rather than eliminating the other sensory input using a selective filter, the attenuation model has an attenuating filter in its place, which allows for some of the other sensory input to pass throughother aspects are the same
Broadbent model ( arrow diagram)
inputs- sensory store- sensory filter ( based on physical properties of the sensory input) - higher level processing - working memory
Treisman model ( arrow diagram)
inputs- sensory store- attenuating filter ( based on physical properties of the sensory input) - higher level processing - working memory
Selective priming
another explanation for cocktail party effect
suggests that people can be selectively primed to observe something, either by encountering it frequently or having an expectation
if one is primed to observe something, one is more likely to notice when it occurs
more sth is primed, more we pick it up despite distractions
Spotlight model
spotlight is a beam that can shine anywhere within an individual s visual field
beam describes the movement of attention , which precede the corresponding eye movements
shifting of attention requires us to unlock the beam from its current target, move the focus and lock onto a new target
priming
an implicit memory effect where exposure to one stimulus influences response to another stimulus
binding problem
problem of how different aspects are assembled together and related to a single object, rather than something else in the visual field
solution to binding problem
visual attention
if our visual attention is on a particular object such as a cup then the feature detectors input of shape, color, etc will be related to the object it is attended to
when people are distracted while viewing 2 items, they may have issues with binding , the color of one object may be attributed to the other
divided attention
concerns when we are able to perform multiple tasks simultaneously
resource modality of attention
have limited pool of resources on which to draw when performing tasks , both modality- specific resources and general resources
when are tasks not accomplishable at the same time
if the resources required to perform multiple tasks simultaneously exceeds available resources to do so
Three factors associated with performance on multi tasking
task similarity
task difficulty
task practice
task similarity
two similar tasks use the same modality for processing so they would interfere with each other
therefore, the more similar the two tasks are, the more difficult they would be to perform together
task difficulty
if task more difficult, requires more resources in general, and would be hard to do simultaneously with another task without passing resource capacity
task practice
practice diminishes task resource demand so that we may free up those resources to allow for multitasking
suggests that tasks tend to become automatic with practice and no longer need mechanisms of control to oversee them
tasks are well learned routines that require fewer resources
which brain A is responsible for muscle memory or ability to perform motor tasks unconciously?
cerebellum
behaviorism
consumed primarily with the link between stimulus and response
assumes all behaviors are either reflexes produced by response to certain stimuli in the environment or consequence of the individual’s history together with the individual’s current motivational state and controlling stimuli
information processing models
focuses on what happens between the ears
based on the idea that humans process the info they receive rather than merely responding to stimuli
assumptions of information processing models
info is taken in from the environment and processed thru a series of steps including attention, perception , storage into memory
Alan Baddeley’s model goal:
better define short term memory, which he renamed working memory
Alan Baddeley’s model
working memory consists of 4 components: phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, episodic buffer and central executive
Phonological loop
allows us to repeat verbal information to help us remember it
visuospatial sketchpad
allows us remember visuospatial information through the use of mental images
episodic buffer
theorized to integrate info from phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad along with a sense of time
responsible for combining info from a variety of sources into coherent episodes
central executive
overseer of the entire process, orchestrates the process by shifting and dividing attention
Jean piagnet
one of 1st developmental psychologists who studied cognitive development in children ; argued against prevailing belief that children were mini adults in thought processes and abilities
disagreed with the idea that intelligence was a fixed trait
regarded cognitive development as process which occurs due to biological maturation and interaction with the environment
schemas
mental frameworks that shape and are shaped by our experience
piagnet thought the process of cognitive development involved forming these
a way of organizing knowledge
What happens to existing schemas when we encounter new experiences?
We can assimilate experiences by conforming them into existing schemas
or accommodate by adjusting our schemas to take into account the new experiences
Example for existing schemas and new experiences
Young girl believes there is a monster under the bed but her parent turns on the light to reveal that there is nothing there, the girl can take two paths.
She can assimilate the experience by believing that the monster still exists but it runs away from light, or accommodate the schema by agreeing that there must be no monster
4 developmental stages of piagnet s theory
- sensorimotor stage
- preoperational stage
- concrete operational stage
- formal operation stage
sensorimotor stage of piagnet theory
from birth to roughly age 2
babies and young infants experience the world thru their senses and movement , such as looking, mouthing and grasping.
learn about object permanance, demonstrate stranger anxiety
object permanence
the understanding that objects continue to exist when they are out of sight
stranger anxiety
distress when confronted by an unfamiliar person
preoperational stage of piagnet theory
roughly from 2- 7
children learn that things can be represented through symbols such as words and languages
accompanies their learning during pretend play and development of language , but they lack logical reasoning
also egocentric , do not understand that others have different perspectives
able to think about things symbolically ( ability to make an object such as a word stand for something other than itself)
concrete operational stage of piagnet theory
7-11
children learn to think logically about concrete events
helps them learn the principle of conservation
grasp math concepts during this time
marks beginning of logical thought
can conserve numbers ( age 6) , mass ( age 7 ) and weight ( age 9)
principle of conservation
idea that the quantity remains the same despite changes in shape
ex: if water from a wide bowl is poured into a thin cylinder, it still has the same volume despite the difference in height
formal operational stage
from age of 12 through adulthood
people learn abstract reasoning ( i.e. hypothesizing) and moral reasoning
develop ability to think about abstract concepts and logically test hypotheses
cognitive abilities during early and middle adulthood
most cognitive abilities remain stable or increase
cognitive changes in late adulthood (3)
beyond age of 60
- elderly show memory declines in recall while recognition abilities
- time base tasks can also be challenging for older adults, such as regimen involving taking medication 3 times a day
- older adults also have slower info processing abilities, evidenced by slower reaction times and speech
recall
involves retrieving info from memory without any clues
recognition
involved retrieving info from memory with clues
role of culture in cognitive development
social relationships
ex
possible that individual learns social relationships and converts these into mental capabilities
developing individual and environment are in reciprocal relationship in which social context can shape thinking and behavior
ex. expression of thoughts is limited to thinkers language
influence of heredity and environment on cognitive development : both interact genetics sociocultural tests of cognitive
heredity and environment interact during course of individualès life to create a developmental trajectory
genetics provides the biological predisposition or raw material of an individual
sociocultural influences help mold and channel this potential into the development of particular capabilities
amount and quality of schooling and richness of childès environment can heavily influence performance on tests of cognitive functioning
biological factors that affect cognition sensory info frontal lobe hippocampus amygdala and limbic
sensory info provides raw material for cognitive processes and is transmitted to parietal, occipital, temporal lobes
frontal play role in executive functions including planning, organizing, inhibiting impulses and flexible thinking
hippocampus: formation of new memories
amygdala and rest of limbic: manage emotional arousal needed to provide motivation and alertness neccessary to complete tasks
Problem solving approaches
trial and error algorithm (step by step approaches) heuristics ( mental shortcuts) combination insight ( sudden flash of inspiration when we are not actively thinking about a problem)
Barriers to effective problem solving
confirmation bias
fixation
confirmation bias
tendency to search for info which only confirms our preconceived thinking rather than info that might not support it
why is confirmation bias a barrier to effective problem solving?
it can prevent you from approaching a problem from multiple perspectives because you are more likely to view it from one way, your way
leads to faulty decision making, one side info which leaves u with incomplete picture of the situation
fixation
inability to see the problem from a fresh perspective
sometimes results from existence of mental set , tendency to fixate on solutions that worked in the past although they may not apply to the current situation
functional fixedness
another type of fixation
tendency to perceive the function of objects as fixed or unchanging
heuristics
mental shortcuts
can increase efficiency in decision making , although mostly helpful, they can lead to errors in judgement
availability heuristic
when you make a decision about something based on the examples that are most available in your mind
based on how easy something comes to mind
representative heuristic
has to do with our generalizations about people and events
helps us make a decision by comparing info to our mental prototypes
difference between availability and representative heuristics
availability relies more on our memory of specific instances
representative has to do with our generalization of people and events more on generalization than specific examples
availability based on how readily examples come to mind
belief bias
tendency to judge arguments based on what one believes about their conclusions rather than on whether they use sound logic
we accept conclusions that fit our beliefs and reject assertions that do not fit with their beliefs
belief perserverance
tendency to cling o beliefs despite the presence of contrary evidence
overconfidence
overestimation of accuracy of knowledge and judgements
a result of the use of intuitive heuristics and tendency to confirm preconceived beliefs
overconfidence example
after hearing a classmate completed an assignment quickly, along with their belief that a particular class is easy, students can be overconfident in how much time it would take to complete assignments or write papers, estimating that they would take less time than they actually do
Influence of how information is framed on people ( example )
One study found that consumers are more likely to buy meat labelled as 75% lean rather than 25% fat
Conciousness
awareness that we have of ourselves, our internal states and the environment
What is conciousness important for ?
reflection and exert control by directing attention
always needed for novel and complex tasks
alertness and arousal
involve the ability to remain attentive to what is going on
what can affect alertness?
impaired by variety of disorders including narcolepsy, attention deficit disorder, depression and chronic fatigue syndrome
varies within a 24 hour cycle naturally
reticular formation
aka reticular activating system ( RAS)
set of connected nuclei in the brains of vertebrates which is responsible for regulating wakefulness and sleep-wake transitions
controls alertness and arousal
polysomnography
PSG
multimodal technique to measure physiological processes during sleep
PSG includes:
electroencephalogram (EEG)
electromyogram (EMG)
electrooculogram (EOG)
and other physiological indicators of sleep
EEG
measure electrical impulses in the brain
EMG
measure the skeletal muscle movements
EOG
measures eye movement
EEG for a person in the relaxed state
EEG shows alpha waves, which have low amplitudes and high frequencies ( 8-12 Hz)
alpha waves are first indicator that person is ready to drift off to sleep: body relaxes, person feels drowsy and closes their eyes
Stage 1 sleep EEG
first stage of non REM ( rapid eye movement) sleep
EEG is dominated by theta wave: low to moderate intensity and intermediate frequency ( 3-7 Hz)
Stage 1 sleep EMG
moderate activity
Stage 1 sleep EOG
slow rolling eye movements
Stage 1 sleep characteristics
person becomes less responsive to stimuli and has fleeting thoughts
Stage 2 sleep characteristics
brings increased relaxation in the body that is characteristic of sleep , such as decreased heart rate, respiration and temperature
Stage 2 EEG
denoted by change to 2 distinct wave patterns
though the characteristic waves are still theta waves, these waves are intermixed with 2 patterns
2 patterns that the theta waves are intermixed with in Stage 2
K complexes and sleep spindles
K complexes
duration of half a second and is large and slow
sleep spindles
bursts of waves
have frequency of 12-14 Hz and are moderately intense
do not last long, like K complexes, last half a second to one and half seconds
Stage 2 EOG
no eye movement
Stage 2 EMG
moderate activity
Stage 3 and 4 characteristics
slow wave sleep
heart rate and digestion slow, growth hormones are secreted
Stage 3 and 4 EEG
characterized by delta waves , which are high amplitude , low frequency ( 0.5-3 Hz) and signify deeper level of sleep
initially delta waves are mixed with higher frequency waves, but as Stage 3 progresses to Stage 4 , delta waves come to dominate
Stage 3 and 4 EOG
no eye movement
Stage 3 and 4 EMG
moderate muscle movement
REM sleep characteristics
bursts of quick eye movements (EOG)
generally when dreams occur
absence of motor function except at the eyes and the diaphraghm
REM sleep EEG
measures waves which most resemble beta waves seen when individuals are awake
waves are sawtooth waves
have low intensity and variable frequency
more jagged in appearance than beta waves
REM sleep EMG
characterized by low ( almost no) skeletal muscle movement
Paradoxical sleep
another term for REM sleep
comes from the fact that although the person physiologically appears awake, muscle movement does not corroborate, as the individual is nearly paralyzed except for sudden bursts of twitches
Sleep stages and normal sleep
individual passes thru non REM sleep stages and enters REM sleep then passes back thru non REM
can happen in sequence or it is possible to jump between various stages while sleeping
multiple sleep cycles per night
Average sleep cycle
90 minutes
includes periods of non REM and REM sleep
REM periods throughout the night
shortest early in the night and get longer as the night progresses
Deep sleep periods throughout the night
Stage 3 and 4
longest early in the night and are less frequent as night progresses
Amount of sleep needed to function optimally
changes thru 1s lifespan
Amount of sleep needed and stage of sleep: infants
much larger fraction of sleep in REM than adults do and sleep longer 16 hours of sleep
Amount of sleep needed and stage of sleep: teens
9-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep
Amount of sleep needed and stage of sleep: adults and elders
as we age, we require less and less sleep
not uncommon for individuals in their 60s and 70s to sleep about 6 hours a night
Lack of sleep
body not able to complete all restorative phases needed for muscle repair, memory consolidation, release of various hormones, including though that regulate growth and appetite
wake us less prepared to concentrate, focus, engage indecision making
Survival theory for why humans sleep
since humans and most non nocturnal animals are better suited for survival in the day when we can use our vision to navigate and stay out of harms way, sleep may serve as survival mechanism to reduce nighttime activity ( when ancestors were more likely to become prey)
Restoration theory on why humans sleep
helps heal body by restoring tissues, including those in the brain
brain is active while asleep, but could be reorganizing connections and consolidating memories into long term storage
Growth theory on sleep
sleep plays role in growth
during sleep pituitary gland releases growth hormone, with lower levels of hormone released as individual ages
circadian rhythymns
biological clock
biological waxing and waning of alertness during the 24 hour day
general description of ebb and flow of alertness during the day
most alert during mid morning
energy dip in the early afternoon ( when people take siestas or grab a cup of coffee)
alert again in early evening
energy dip later in the evening, sleep becomes more and more enticing
circadian rhythms and age
varies with age
newborns spend 2/3 of day asleep
older adults peak in the morning and decline as the day progresses
younger adults more energetic mid to late evening
exposure to light
key factor in how sleep is regulated
stimulates the retina to the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus (SCN)
suprachiasmatic nucleus
signals other parts of the brain, which regulate body temperature and control production and release of hormones
internal clock , regulates neurophysiological activities that affect the whole body
exposure to light at the beginning of the day
causes body temperature to rise and the release of hormone like cortisol, which are signals to indicate that it is time to wake up
melatonin
hormone made by pineal gland
effect of darkness on SCN
causes SCN to signal the pineal gland to start producing and releasing melatonin
as melatonin levels rise, you begin to feel tired
melatonin levels throughout the night and new day
melatonin levels stay elevated throughout the night and light of new day inhibits release of melatonin
artificial indoor light and melatonin
can also be bright enough to prevent release of melatonin
core body temperature range
96.8 and 104 degrees farenheit over 24 hours , regulated by hypothalamus
sleep and temperature
most people sleep when their core temperature is dropping at the end of the day
average adult experiences their lowest body temperature 2 hours before waking time in morning
importance of REM stage
where dreams occur
absolutely necessary
REM rebound
lengthening and increasing frequency and depth of rapid eye movement sleep which occurs after period of REM sleep deprivation
REM rebound example
missing REM sleep for one night results an increase in REM sleep later to make up for the lost night of REM sleep
Manifest content
plotlines of dreams
latent content
unconcious drives and wishes which are difficult to express
Freud’s belief regarding manifest contents
they were symbolic expressions of latent content
believed that dreams are a way of understanding our inner conflicts
Learning study regarding dreams conclusion
some studies found that dreaming can improve learning and problem solving
rat study details
found that the brain regions used by rats to navigate a maze when they were awake were also active when the rats slept , as if the rats were running the maze in their dreams
when they woke, rats demonstrated improved performance compared to both their previous performance and performance of other rats who did not get REM sleep , same is true for human performance
a night of consolidating info you learned while studying is beneficial to retaining the info
activation synthesis theory
dreams are byproducts of brain activation during REM sleep
allows for possibility that dreams are far from purposeful
template hypothesis of dreams
purpose is to provide a template of conciousness on which the mind can practice conciousness development
Sleep disorders subdivisions
dyssomnias
parasomnias
dyssomnias
disorder of getting to sleep, staying asleep or excessive sleepiness
people experiences changes in amount and/ timing of sleep, and how restful it is
abnormalities in the amount, quality or timing of sleep
dyssomnia examples
insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea
insomnia
most common sleep disorder and is characterized by difficulty falling asleep
sleep disorder where people have trouble sleeping
persistent problem which can stem from chronic stress
quick treatments for insomnia
sedatives such as sleeping pills
cons to sedatives
have risk of dependency or overdose, become less effective with time
create abnormal sleep cycles with less time in REM and slow wave stages, which can lead to drowsy carry over effects
natural alternatives to sedatives
relaxation before bedtime, avoiding stimulants and exercise in the evening , and sleeping on a regular schedule
narcolepsy
long term neurological disorder which decreases ability to regulate sleep wake cycles
characterized by excessive sleepiness, sleep paralysis, hallucination and in some cases , cataplexy
people with this experience periodic, overwhelming sleepiness during waking periods that usually last less than 5 minutes
can occur without warning at dangerous times such as while driving
cataplexy
partial or total loss of muscle control
cause of narcolepsy
dysfunction in the region of the hypothalamus that produces the neuro hypocretin ( also called orexin)
treatment for narcolepsy
treated with stimulants with modest success
sleep apnea
disorder that causes people to intermittently stop breathing during sleep, which results in awakening after a minute or so without air
effect of apnea on quality of sleep
process can repeat 100s of time thru night, can deprive sufferers of deep sleep
those with sleep apnea may not be aware that they have it, although their partners may be, as it is accompanied by heavy snoring
incidence of sleep apnea is associated with obesity
parasomnias
abnormal behaviors that occur during sleep, include somnambulism and night terrors
somnambulism
sleepwalking
tends to occur during slow wave sleep ( sleep 3) usually during first third of the night
may be genetic dispositions for sleepwalking or sleeptalking
night terrors
usually occur during stage 3
sleep disorder which causes feelings of terror or dread
universal feature of night terrors
similar to panic attacks
during night terror bolts , people are described as bolting upright with their eyes wide open and a look of fear and panic on their faces
sense that people are trying to protect themselves or escape from a threat
person experiencing a night terror may
sit up or walk around, babble and appear terrified , though none of it is to be recalled the next morning
somnabulism and night terrors are more likely
to appear in children
hypnotism
social interaction in which hypnotist has subject focus their attention on what is being said, relax and feel tired and accept suggestions easily thru the use of vivid imagination
who is hypnotizable?
nearly everyone is hypnotizable to some extent, although some have a stronger cacity
Hypnotism promotes
recall of memories by putting someone in a relaxed state
cannot help recall memories from infancy
problem with hypnotism and memories
patient is also susceptible to he creation of false memories thru the use of imagination to create inaccurate memories
hypnotism and forcing people against their will
hypnotism cannot force people to do extreme things against their will such as commit murder
uses of hypnotism
can help alleviate headaches, asthma, and stress related skin disorders
50% of people can gain pain relief from hypnosis
how hypnosis works
not by preventing sensory input, but by blocking attention to those sensory inputs
hypnosis and brain activity
results in changes in brain activity
insinuating what is actually an altered state of conciousness
some studies indicate this
dissociation theory
suggests that hypnotism is an extreme form of divided conciousness
hypnotism is an extended form of normal disociation where the individual is on autopilot and hypnotist takes over the executive control, which exerts action
example of autopilot
driven somewhere and not recalled anything about the drive
social influence theory
people do and report what is expected of them
not conciously
ppl r like actors who get caught up in roles and behave in roles that fit them
meditation
variety of techniques which usually involve training of attention
focus intensely on one object of attention , such as breathing or broaden attention and be aware of multiple stimuli, such as anything in their auditory field
use of meditation
to manage pain, stress and anxiety disorders
mindfulness based stress reduction
MBSR
protocol commonly used in the medical setting to help alleviate stress
meditators waves
meditators have increased alpha and beta waves while they are meditating and to some extent an increase above baseline after they stop, with more experienced meditators showing greater improvements
three categories of psychoactive drugs
depressants
stimulants
hallucinogenics
how all drugs work
altering actions at the neuronal synapses, either enhancing , dampening or mimicing activity of brainès natural neuro
depressants include
alcoholk , barbiturates ( tranquilizers ) and opiates
how depressants work
they work by depressing, or slowing down neural activity
effect of alcohol on people
more likely to be impulsive, hyperactive
due to slowing of brain activity relating to judgement and inhibition in frontal lobe
effect of large doses of alcohol
can lead to deterioration in skilled motor performance, decreased reaction time, slurring of speech
which area of the brain is impacted when the effect of large doses of alcohol occurs?
altered speech demonstrated with inebriation might lead you to believe that Brocaès area is impaired, however, slurred speech is a result of loss of motor control of the lips, therefore the cerebellum which is responsible for smoothing out motor commands from the primary motor cortex of the frontal lobe is effected.
cerebellum controls precision, timing, coordination and plays a role in muscle memory
excessive drinking effects
lead to memory blackouts for recent memories ( those that have not been consolidated into long term memory)
alcohol and sleep
and example
supresses REM sleep
contribute to loss of short term memory and less restful sleep the night of drinking
heavy drinker may not remember what happened when they wake up
overdose of alcohol
cause death by depressing the respiratory control centers in the medulla to the point that breathing ceases
alcohol stimulates
GABA and dopamine systems
GABA
inhibitory neuro and is associated with reduced anxiety
dopa
leads to feeling of minor euphoria
euphoria
state in which a person experiences pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well being and happiness
prolonged and excessive use of alcohol
can actually shrink the brain
alcohol and barbitrurates and sympa NS
both depress the sympa NS activity
barbiturates
often prescribed as sleep aids
dangerous in combo with alcohol and prone to overdose - too much of a depressing effect can shut down life sustaining organs
opiates
derivatives of opium ( including morphine and heroin) also depress neural functioning
effect of opiates
temporarily reduce pain but mimicking brainès own pain relievers, neuros known as endorphins
endorphins
replace pain with a blissful feeling
may stop being produced with prolonged use of opiates , leading to painful withdrawal
stimulants include
caffeine, nicotine, cocaine and amphetamines ( speed)
stimulants work by
increasing release of neuro or reducing reuptake of neuro or both
overall effect of stimulants
speed up body functions, resulting in increased energy, respiratory rate, heart rate and pupil dilation
ppl use this to stay awake, enhance physical performance and boost mood
how cocaine works
create a rush, a release of brainès supply of neuro including dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine
creating periods of intense pleasure followed by a depresive crash
MDMA
ecstasy
stimulant and mild hallucinogen
works by triggering release of dopamine and serotonin
and blocking reabsorptoin of serotonin so that it stays in the synapse longer
causes emotional elevation
long term effects of MDMA
damage of serotonin producing neurons
resulting reduction in serotonin levels can cause depressed mood
hallucinogens
psychedelics
distort perceptions in the absence of any sensory input , creating hallucinations
examples of hallucinogens
LSD and marijanua
effect of LSD
user may see vivid images and colors
experience may peak with a feeling of being seperated from oneès body or experiencing imagined scenes as if they were reality
emotions related to LSD
vary from euphoria to panic depending on personès mood and context
marijauna active ingredient
THC
effect of THC
stimulates cannabinoid receptors in the brain
relaxes and disinhibits like alcohol, but also acts as a hallucinogen by amplifying sensory perceptions including colors, sounds, tastes and smells
marijauna impairs
motor skills, reaction time and judgement
marijauna medical use
help with nausea and pain
defining feature of drug addiction
compulsion to use a drug repeatedly
types of dependence on drugs
psychological dependence
physical dependence
psychological dependence
often associated with the use of a drug in response to painful emotions related to depression, anxiety or trauma
dependence can sometimes be stopped by removing the individual from a painful situation
example of psychological dependence
individual with social anxiety may fell compelled to drink alcohol excessively in order to lower anxiety at parties
physical dependence
evidenced by withdrawal
withdrawal
uncomfortable and often physically painful experience without the use of a drug
discomfort is alleviated when user takes the drug, thus reinforcing further drug use
alcohol withdrawal dangers
excessive users must be slowly detoxified as stopping suddenly is life threatening
caffeine withdrawal
headaches, fogginess and irritability that end when more caffeine is taken
addiction
biological based
enjoyable behaviors and brain
produce activity in dopa circuits in brain, most notably in the nucleus accumbens, the pleasure center of the brain
nucleus accumbens
plays a central role in the reward circuit
operation based chiefly on two essential neuro
dopamine, which promotes desire and serotonin which induces sateity and inhibition
