Chapter 3 Flashcards
What is hypnosis?
a social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur.
What is consciousness?
our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.
What is cognitive neuroscience?
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)
What is selective attention? Give an example.
focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.
What is inattentional blindness?
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
What is inattentional numbness?
failing to feel stimuli when our attention is directed elsewhere
What is change blindness?
failing to notice changes in the environment; a form of inattentional blindness.
What is dual processing?
the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.
What is blindsight?
a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it.
What is parallel processing?
processing many aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously.
What is sequential processing?
processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems.
What is sleep?
a periodic, natural loss of consciousness—as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation.
What is the circadian rhythm?
our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle
What is REM sleep?
rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active
What are alpha waves and when do they happen?
the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
What are hallucinations? At what stage of sleep do they occur?
false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus; they occur during the N1 sleep stage
What are the stages of sleep in order?
Waking beta waves, waking alpha waves, N1 waves, N2 waves, N3 (delta) waves, REM waves
At which stage of sleep are you clearly asleep?
N2
What are sleep spindles and at which stage of sleep do they occur?
bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain-wave activity that aid memory processing; N2
What are delta waves and at what stage of sleep do they occur?
the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep; they occur in N3 sleep
What is the Suprachiasmatic nucleus? (SCN)
a pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, the SCN causes the pineal gland to adjust melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness.
What are the five reasons we sleep?
Sleep protects, sleep helps us recuperate, sleep helps restore and rebuild the day’s memories, sleep feeds creative thinking, sleep supports growth
What is insomnia?
recurring problems in falling or staying asleep
What is narcolepsy?
a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times
What is sleep apnea?
a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings
What are night terrors?
a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during N3 sleep, within 2 or 3 hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered
What is tolerance?
a state in which increasing doses are needed to produce an effect
What are dreams?
a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind
What is manifest content?
according to Freud, the symbolic, remembered story line of a dream (as distinct from its latent, or hidden, content)
What is latent content?
according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream (as distinct from its manifest content)
Why do we dream?
Satisfy our wishes, file away memories, develop and preserve neural pathways, make sense of neural static, reflect cognitive development
What is the activation-synthesis theory?
dreams are the brain’s attempt to synthesize random neural activity
What is REM rebound?
the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation
What are psychoactive drugs?
a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods
What is substance use disorder?
a disorder characterized by continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk
What are the three types of psychoactive drugs?
Depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens
What are depressants?
drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.
What is alcohol use disorder?
popularly known as alcoholism) alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use.
What are barbiturate drugs?
drugs that depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment
What are opiates?
opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety
What is a stimulant?
drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamine, and Ecstasy) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.
What are amphetamines?
drugs (such as methamphetamine) that stimulate neural activity, causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes
What is nicotine?
a stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco products
What is cocaine?
a powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant; produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria
What is methamphetamine?
a powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes; over time, reduces baseline dopamine levels
What is ecstasy (MDMA)?
a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short-term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition
What are hallucinogens?
psychedelic (“mind-manifesting”) drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
What is the near-death experience?
an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as cardiac arrest); often similar to drug-induced hallucinations
What is LSD?
a powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid.
What is THC?
the major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations
