Chapter 3 Flashcards
Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment
Consciousness
The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (thinking, knowing, remembering, and communication)
Cognitive Neuroscience
Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
Selective Attention
Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
Inattentional Blindness
Failing to notice changes in the environment; a form of inattentional blindness
Change blindness
The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
Dual Processing
A condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it
Blindsight
Processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously
Parallel Processing
Processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems
Sequential Processing
A periodic, natural loss of consciousness— as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation
Sleep
Our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, or temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24 hour cycle
Circadian Rhythm
A recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active
Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REM, Paradoxical Sleep, R Sleep)
The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
Alpha Waves
False sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus
Hallucinations
The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
Delta Waves
A pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, it causes the pineal gland to adjust melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)
Ongoing difficulty falling or staying asleep
Insomnia
Sudden attacks of overwhelming sleepiness
Narcolepsy
Stopping breathing repeatedly while sleeping
Sleep apnea
Doing normal waking activities while asleep
Sleepwalking, sleeptalking
Appearing terrified, talking nonsense, sitting up, or walking around during N3 sleep; different from nightmares
Night Terrors
A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind
Dreams
According to Freud, the symbolic, remembered story line of a dream
Manifest Content
According to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream
Latent Content
The dream theory that dreams provide a “psychic safety valve” —expressing otherwise unacceptable feelings; dreams contain manifest content and a deeper layer of latent content
Freud’s wish-fulfillment
The dream theory that dreams help us sort out the day’s events and consolidate our memories
Information-processing
The dream theory that regular brain stimulation from REM sleep may help develop and preserve neural pathways
Physiological Function
The dream theory that REM sleep triggers neural activity that evokes random visual memories, which our sleeping brain weaves into stories
Activation Synthesis
The dream theory that dream content reflects dreamers’ level of cognitive development— their knowledge and understanding. Dreams simulate our lives, including worst-case scenarios
Cognitive Development
The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation
REM rebound
A chemical substance that alters the brain, causing changes in perceptions and moods
Psychoactive Drugs
A disorder characterized by continued substance use despite significant life disruption
Substance use disorder
Drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opioids) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
Depressants
Alcohol use marked by a combination of symptoms that may include tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use.
Alcohol Use Disorder
Drugs that depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judegemt
Barbiturates
Opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety
Opioids
Drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamine, and ecstasy) that excite neural activity and speed up bodily functions
Stimulant
Drugs (such as methamphetamine) that stimulate neural activity, causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes
Amphetamines
A stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco products
Nicotine
A powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant; produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria
Cocaine
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
Methamphetamine
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
Ecstasy (MDMA)
Psychedelic (“mind-manifesting”) drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
Hallucinogens
An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as cardiac arrest); often similar to drug-induced hallucinations
Near-death Experience
A powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid
LSD
The major mind-altering ingredient in marijuana
THC
