Chapter 3 Module Flashcards
Original Definition of Psychology
The description and explanation of states of consciousness.
Moved to behaviorism.
Resumed to include consciousness in the 60s.
Consciousness
Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.
Differing states of consciousness exist.
Hypnosis
A social interaction in which one person (hypnotist) suggests to another (subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur.
Used in psychotherapy and in medicine.
Cognitive Neuroscience
The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition.
Including perception, thinking, memory, and language.
Selective Attention
Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.
Conscious mind can only focus on one thing at a time.
Selectively responding to one stimuli (ex. one voice).
Cocktail Party Effect
Your ability to attend to only one voice within a sea of many as you chat with a party guest.
Impacts of Selective Attention
Texting and driving causes accidents.
Inattentional Blindness
Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.
Ex. Invisible gorilla
Inattentional Numbness
Failing to feel physical sensations while the attention is somewhere else.
Ex. Pickpockets bumping into you.
Change Blindness
Failing to notice changes in teh environment; a form of inattentional blindness.
Dual Processing
The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.
Blindsight
A condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it.
Visul Action Track
Guides our moment-to-moment movements.
Visual Perception Track
Enables us to think about the world and to recognize things and to plan future actions.
Parallel Processing
Processing many aspects of a stimulus or problem simutlaneously.
Enables the mind to take care of routine business.
Unconscious.
Sequential Processing
Processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems.
Conscious.
Sleep
A periodic, natural loss of consciousness - as distinct from unconsciousness resulting forom a coma, general anethesia, or hibernation.
Circadian Rhythm
Our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle.
Young adults tend to be night owls and as you age you become a morning lark.
Ex. temperature and wakefulness.
Length of Sleep Stages
90 mins approx.
REM Sleep
Rapid Eye Movement Sleep / Paradoxical sleep
Sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur.
Muscles are relaxed but other body systems are active.
Brain waves like teeth, sleep paralysis
10 minutes
Stages of Sleep
N1
N2
N3
N2
REM
N3 sleep shortens and REM and N2 sleep lengthen
Hallucinations
False sensory experiences, such as seeing something in teh absence of an external visual stimulus.
Hypnagogic Sensations
Sensation of falling followed by a sudden jerk.
N1 Sleep
Hallucinations and hypnogic sensations
Falling asleep.
N2 Sleep
20 minutes
Sleep spindles: bursts of brain activity that aid memory processing
N3 Sleep
30 minutes
Slow-wave (delta) sleep.
Hard to awaken; deep sleep.
Alpha Waves
The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state.
Delta Waves
The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep.
Desynchronization
Fatigue, stomach problems, heart disease, and breast cancer.
Light disruptions in circadian rhythm.
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)
A pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm.
Light –> pineal gland to adjust melatonin production to modify feelings of sleepiness
Functions of Sleep
- Sleep protects (evolutionary to keep us inside during darkness)
- Sleep helps us recuperate (restore immune system, heal infection, repair brain tissue)
- Sleep helps restore and rebuild our fading memories of the day’s experiences (consolidate)
- Sleep feeds creative thinking.
- Sleep supports growth
Insomnia
Ongoing difficulty falling or staying asleep.
Reliance on sleeping pills - reduced REM and tolerance
Narcolepsy
Sudden attacks of overwhelming sleepiness
Sleep Apnea
Stopping breathing repeatedly while sleeping.
Sleepwalking and Sleeptalking
Doing normal waking activities while asleep.
Can occur during any sleep stage.
Sleepwalking happens in N3 sleep.
Night Terrors
Appearing terrified, talking nonsense, sitting up, or walking around during N3 sleep; different from nightmares.
Affects more children than adults.
Little memories of a night terror the next day.
Sleep Deprivation Effects on the Brain
- Decreased ability to focus, process, and store memories
- Increased risk of depression and impaired mood
- Decreased metabolic rate
- Increased Cortisol
- Decreased ability to resist temptation
Sleep Deprivation Effects on the Immune System
Decreased production of immune cells
Increased risk of viral infections
Sleep Deprivation Effects on Fat Cells
Increased production
Greater risk of obesity
Sleep Deprivation Effects on Joints
Increased inflammation and arthritis
Sleep Deprivation Effects on the Heart
Increased risk of high blood pressure
Sleep Deprivation Effects on the Stomach
Increased hunger arousing hormone ghrelin
Decrease in the humger suppressing hormone, leptin
Sleep Deprivation Effects on Muscles
Reduced strength
Slower reaction time and motor learning.
Dreams
A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind.
Most vivid and narrative during REM, also exist in NREM sleep.
What do we dream?
More negative than positive.
Trauma and dreams
Musicians dreams
Blind people dreams
Media influences dreams
Less sex dreams then you would think.
Why do we dream?
- To satisfy our own wishes
- To file away memories
- To develop and preserve neural pathways
- To make sense of neural static
- To reflect cognitive development
Dream Theories
- Freud’s wish-fulfillment
- Information Processing
- Physiological Function
- Activation Synthesis
- Cognitive Development
Manifest Content
Remembered content from dreams.
Latent Content
Deeper layer of hidden meaning within dreams sorted out by a therapist.
Dream Theories: Freud’s Wish-Fulfillment
Expressing otherwise unacceptable feelings.
Latent and manifest content.
Dream Theories: Information Processing
Dreams help us sosrt out the day’s events and consolidate our memories.
Dream Theories: Physiological function
Regular brain stimulation from REM sleep may help develop and preserve neural pathways.
Dream Theories: Activation Synthesis
REM sleep triggers neural activity that evokes random visual memories, which our sleeping brain weaves into stories.
Dream Theories: Cognitive Development
Dream content reflects dreamer’s level of cognitive development - their knowledge and understanding.
Dreams simulate our lives, including worst-case scenarios.
Psychoactive Drugs
A chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods.
Depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens
Substance Use Disorder
A disorder characterized by continued substance craving and use despite signigicant life disruption and/or physical risk.
Diminished control, diminished social functioning, hazardous use, drug action
Substance/Medication Induced Disorders
When people misuse drugs and alcohol, causing changes that resemble various psychological disorders.
Ex. sexual dysfunctions, OCD, depression, pyschosis, etc.
Tolerance
Brain chemistry addapts to offset the drug effect. (Opposite affects of the drug)
Users require larger and larger doses, risking addiction.
Addiction
Increased usage increases cravings, struggles in withdrawing from substance.
Behaviour Addictions
Avoid using addiction for excessive behaviours.
Can be dysfunctional and cause similar problems
Depressants
Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.
Ex. Alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates
Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal and a drive to continue problematic use.
Barbiturates
Drugs taht depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment.
Opiates
Opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety.
Alcohol
Decreased neural activity
Reduced Self-Awareness
Expectancy Effects
Memory disruption
Initial high followed by relaxation and disinhibition
Depression, memory loss, organ damage, impaired reactions.
Stimulant
Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.
Ex. Caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamine, and ecstasy
Amphetamines
Drugs (like meth) that stimulate neural axtivity, causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes.
Nicotine
Arousal and relaxation, sense of well-being
Heart disease, cancer
Cocaine
Rush of euphoria, confidence, energy
Cardiovascular stress, suspiciousness, depressive crash
Methamphetamine
Euphoria, alertness, energy
Irritability, insomnia, hyptertension, seizures
Ecstasy/MDMA
Dehydration, overheating, depressed mood, impaired cognitive and immune functioning
Emotional elevation, disinhibition
Hallucinogens
Psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.
Near-death Experience
An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death.
Often similar to drug-induced hallucinations.
LSD
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
A powerful hallucinogenic drug also known as acid.
Visual trip
Risk of panic
Marjuana (THC)
The major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations.
Enhanced sensation, relief of pain, distortion of time, relaxation
Impaired learning and memory, increased risk of psychollogical disorders.
Biological Influences on Consciousness-Altering Drug Use
Genetic predispositions
Variations in neurotransmitter systems
Psychological Influences on Consciousness-Altering Drug Use
Lacking sense of purpose
Significant stress
Psychological disorders, such as depression
Socio-Cultural Influences on Consciousness-Altering Drug Use
Difficult environment
Cultural acceptance of drug use
Negative peer influences
