Chapter 3 - Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind Flashcards
What is consciousness?
An awareness of ourselves and our environment, can be spontaneous, physiologically induced, or psychologically induced
What is conscious awareness?
We think we are processing more than we actually do, unconscious processing of our environments reflects our moods
What is selective attention?
Our conscious awareness processes only a small part of all that we experience
What is inattention blindness?
Refers to the inability to see an object or a person in our midst
What is change blindness?
A form of inattention blindness where people fail to notice large changes to visual scenes
Why does change blindness happen?
Attention is diverted from the changed object, if the change is not central or meaningful to the scene, it is likely to go unnoticed
What is a circadian rhythm?
Occurs on a 24-hour cycle and includes sleep and wakefulness (our biological clock)
When do sleep stages happen?
About every 90 minutes, we pass through a cycle of five distinct sleep stages
Sleep Stages
What happens in the awake but relaxed stage?
Brain actiivty slows to a large amplitude and slow, regular alpha waves (9-14 cps)
ex. meditating
Sleep Stages
What happens during Sleep Stage 1?
Light sleep, enters theta waves (5-8 cps), may have hallucinations, feel like falling
Sleep Stages
What happens during Sleep Stage 2?
Approx. 20 minutes, deep sleep, enters delta waves, may sleep talk and be awakened without too much difficulty
Sleep Stages
What happens during Sleep Stages 3 and 4?
Stage 3 is transitional moving into Stage 4 (deepest sleep), lasts approx. 30 mins for each stages, beta waves, hardest to awaken, wetting the bed or sleep walking can happen
Sleep Stages
What happens during Sleep Stage 5/REM Sleep?
As you move backwards towards stages 4, 3 and 2, for 10 min, your brain waves are rapid like you are nearly awake, heart rate rises, breathing is rapid and your eyes move: dream stage
ex. aroused genitals, paralyzed muscles, emotional
What happens during each 90-min cycle?
With each 90-min cycle, stage 4 sleep decreases and the duration of REM sleep increases
How much sleep are we supposed to get?
- Adults: 6-8 hrs/day
- Newborns: 16 hrs
- Teenagers: 8-10 hrs/day
A 15 min nap during the day = an hour of sleep at night
What can sleep deprivation cause?
- Fatigue and subsequent death
- Cognitive: impaired concentration, critical thinking skills, creativity, vocabulary, and memory
- Emotional irritability, bad mood and poor communication
- Depressed immune system, 3x more likely to get sick
- Greater vulnerability to accidents, clumsy
What are the sleep theories?
- Sleep protects
- Sleep helps us recover
- Sleep helps us remember
- Sleep may play a role in the growth process
What is insomnia?
A persistent inability to fall asleep
What is narcolepsy?
Overpowering urge to fall asleep that may occur while talking or standing up
What is Klein Levin Syndrome?
Causes people to sleep for days or weeks
What is hypnophobia?
Fear of falling asleep because people feel physical or psychological pain during sleep
What is sleep apnea?
The central nervous system ceases to function during sleep
What sleep disorders are children most prone to?
- Night terrors
- Sleepwalking
- Sleeptalking
What is manifest content?
A Freudian term meaning the storyline of dreams
