Chapter 1 Consciousness Flashcards
Consciousness
Our awareness of internal and external environments at any given moment in time
State of consciousness
An individual’s level of awareness of internal and external stimuli at any given moment
Normal waking consciousness (NWC)
A state of consciousness characterised by clear and organised alertness to internal and external stimuli
Altered state of consciousness
A state of consciousness that is characteristically different from normal waking consciousness in terms of awareness, sensation and perception
Daydreaming
An altered state of consciousness characterised by a shift in concentration from external stimuli to internal thoughts, feelings, memories and images
Hypothetical construct
A concept used to describe something that is believed to exist, because we can measure its effects, but we cannot directly observe or measure it
Controlled Processes
Actions that require a high level of conscious awarenes, attention and mental effort
Focused attention
Attending to a particular stimulus while ignoring others; it requires a high level of awareness
Selective attention
The ability to redirect our attention focus to a specific or limited range of stimuli while ignoring others
Automatic attention
Actions that require little conscious awareness or mental effort, and do not interfere with performance on other activities
Divided attention
When an individual simultaneously focuses on two or more stimuli, or simultaneously undertakes two or more tasks
Hallucination
A sensory experience that does not actually exist
Delusion
A belief or though that is not supported by or connected to reality
Objective data
Measurements of behaviour collected under controlled conditions, which allow data to be directly observed or measured
Pineal gland
A gland located in the centre of the brain that helps regulate body rhythms and sleep cycles
Melatonin
A hormone that is secreted to regulate the sleep-wake cycle and cause drowsiness
Sleep laboratory
A controlled environment that enables electronic recording and measurement of sleep
Atonia
A lack of tone in the muscles, or muscle paralysis, experienced during dream sleep
Hypnogogic state
A state that is experienced just before falling sleep and is characterised by slow, rolling eye movements and deep relaxation
Hypnic jerks
A reflex muscle contraction that occurs during Stage 1 NREM sleep as the body is relaxing
Sleep spindles
A type of brain activity characterised by a short burst of high-frequency brainwaves, experienced during stage 2 NREM sleep
K-complex
A short burst of high-amplitude brainwaves, experienced in stage 2 NREM sleep
Slow wave sleep (SWS)
A sleep state characterised by the emergence of delta waves; SWS is experienced during stages 3 and 4 NREM sleep
Dream
A series of images, thoughts and emotions that passes through the mind during sleep
REM behaviour disorder
A disorder whereby there is a failure of the muscle paralysis that occurs during REM sleep
Restorative theory
A theory that states that sleep is vital for replenishing and revitalising the mind and body to keep them functioning at optimal levels
Adaptive theory
A theory that suggests that we have periods of inactivity, or sleep, when we do not need to engage in activities important to our survival
Sleep deprivation
Going without or not getting sufficient amounts of sleep
Sleep-deprivation psychosis
A disruption of mental and emotional functioning as a result of lack of sleep
REM rebound
The process whereby an individual experiences extra amounts of REM sleep after being deprived of it
Micros level
A short period of sleep, where the individual appears to be awake
Circadian rhythm
Our internal body clock, which cycles approximately every 24 hours
Electroencephalograph (EEG)
A device that detects, amplifies and records electrical activity in the brain
Electromyograph (EMG)
A device that detects, amplifies and records electrical activity in the muscles
Electroculargraph (EOG)
A device that detects, amplifies and records electrical activity in the eyes
Electrocardiograph (ECG)
A device that detects, amplifies and records electrical activity in the heart
Thermometer
Measure our internal body temperature
Galvanic skin response (GSR)
A device that detects, amplifies and records electrical conductivity of skin
Attention
A voluntary or involuntary tendency to orient towards or focus on a particular stimulus and ignore other stimuli
