Chapter 4 - Consciousness

Question 1

What is consciousness?

Answer 1

A concept with many meanings including sensory awareness of the world outside, the direct inner awareness of one’s thoughts and feelings, personal unity, and the waking state.

Question 2

What is selective attention?

Answer 2

The focus of one’s consciousness is on a particular stimulus.

Question 3

What is direct inner awareness?

Answer 3

It is knowledge of one’s thoughts, feelings, and memories without using sensory organs.

Question 4

What is pre-conscious?

Answer 4

Preconscious material is not currently in awareness but is readily available. For example, trying to remember a friend’s phone number allows you to use your preconscious.

Question 5

What is nonconscious?

Answer 5

Nonconscious is descriptive of bodily processes, such as growing hair, of which we cannot become conscious; we may “recognize” that our hair is growing, but we cannot directly experience the biological process.

Question 6

What is suppression?

Answer 6

Suppression is the deliberate, or conscious placing of specific ideas, impulses, or images out of awareness. Suppression and our nonconscious are linked in this process.

Question 7

What is your circadian rhythm?

Answer 7

A cycle is connected with the 24-hour period of the earth’s rotation.

Question 8

What is the suprachiasmatic nucleus?

Answer 8

The proteins in the retinas of the eys signal tiny structures in the hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN stimulates the pineal gland to decrease or increase its output of the hormone melatonin.

Question 9

What does the EEG do with sleep?

Answer 9

The EEG or electroencephalograph shows patterns that reflect the frequency and strength of brain waves during the waking state and the various stages of sleep.

Question 10

What are the brain waves called when we are awake?

Answer 10

Beta waves.

Question 11

What are the brain waves called when we are drowsy?

Answer 11

Alpha waves.

Question 12

What is included in Stage 1 of NREM?

Answer 12

It includes low frequency and low amplitude. It is made of theta waves.

Question 13

What is included in Stage 2 of NREM?

Answer 13

It includes sleep spindles and the K complex.

Question 14

What is included in Stage 3 of NREM?

Answer 14

It includes low frequencies and high amplitude. It is the beginning of the delta waves.

Question 15

What is included in Stage 4 of NREM?

Answer 15

It includes delta waves that continue to increase in amplitude.

Question 16

What is REM?

Answer 16

REM is a stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements, which have been linked to dreaming. The brain waves are similar to those in NREM stage 1. It occurs when we re-enter Stage 1, about 90 after falling asleep, often called paradoxical sleep.

Question 17

The functions of sleep?

Answer 17

It rejuvenates the body, helps us recover from stress, helps us consolidate learning, and may promote the development of infants’ brains.

Question 18

Effects of sleep deprivation?

Answer 18

Under deprivation of REM sleep, people learn more slowly and forget what they have learned more quickly. The tend to show REM rebound, meaning that they spend more time in REM sleep during subsequent sleep periods.

Question 19

What are dreams?

Answer 19

Dreams produce imagery in the absence of external stimulation and can see real.

Question 20

What are some dream theories?

Answer 20

Sigmund Freud theorized that dreams reflect unconscious wishes and urges. But, according to the continuity hypothesis, if we are preoccupied with illness or death, sexual or aggressive urges, or moral dilemmas, we are likely to dream about them.

Question 21

When are dreams more vivid?

Answer 21

Dreams are most likely to be vivid during REM sleep, whereas images are vaguer and more fleeting during NREM sleep.

Question 22

What is the activation-synthesis model?

Answer 22

It is the view that dreams reflect the activation of cognitive activity by the reticular formation and synthesis of this activity into a pattern.

Question 23

What are sleep disorders?

Answer 23

The term sleep disorder is reserved for other problems that can seriously interfere with our functioning.

Question 24

What is insomnia?

Answer 24

Insomnia is the inability to sleep. Trying to get to sleep can compound sleep problems by creating autonomic activity and muscle tension.

Question 25

What is narcolepsy?

Answer 25

Narcolepsy is a “sleep attack” in which a person falls asleep suddenly and irresistibly. It can be accompanied by the collapse of muscle groups or the entire body- a condition called sleep paralysis. Narcolepsy is thought to be a disorder of REM-sleep functioning. Stimulants and antidepressant drugs have helped.

Question 26

What is sleep apnea?

Answer 26

Sleep apnea is a temporary absence of cessation of breathing while sleeping. Sleep apnea is associated with obesity and chronic snoring. It can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. Sleep apnea is treated with weight loss surgery and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

Question 27

Sleep Terrors, Bedwetting, and Sleepwalking.

Answer 27

Sleep terrors are frightening, dream-like experiences that occur during the deepest stage of NREM sleep. Bedwetting reflects the immaturity of the nervous system, it resolves itself before adolescence. Sleepwalkers also termed somnambulism, may roam about nightly. But mild tranquilizers and maturity can put an end to it.

Question 28

What is hypnosis?

Answer 28

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness in which people are highly suggestible and behave as though they are in a trance. The role theory helps explains hypnotic events in terms of the person’s ability to act as though he or she were hypnotized. Another theory is the response set theory of hypnosis related to role theory.

Question 29

What is meditation?

Answer 29

Meditation is the act or process of thinking. Transcendental meditation (TM) is the simplified form of meditation brought to the US by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and used as a method for coping with stress. Mindfulness meditation (MM) is a form of mediation that provides clients with techniques they can use to focus on the present moment rather than ruminate about problems.

Question 30

What is biofeedback?

Answer 30

Biofeedback is a system that provides, or “feeds back,” information about a bodily function to an organism. People have learned to gain voluntary control over a number of functions that are normally automatic, such as heart rate and blood pressure.

Question 31

What is substance use disorder?

Answer 31

It is a problem characterized by loss of control over usage, social impairment, risky use, and tolerance and withdrawal symptoms.

Question 32

What is tolerance?

Answer 32

Tolerance is the body’s habituation to a substance so that, with regular usage, higher doses are needed to achieve similar effects.

Question 33

What is abstinence syndrome?

Answer 33

It is a characteristic cluster of withdrawal symptoms that results from a sudden decrease in an addictive drug’s level of usage.

Question 34

What are depressants?

Answer 34

Depressant drugs generally act by slowing the activity of the central nervous system.

Question 35

Alcohol

Answer 35

The effects of alcohol vary with the dose and duration of use. It can dilate the blood vessels, can have a sedative effect, deadens minor aches, impairs cognitive functioning, slur speech, and impairs coordination. Alcohol lowers inhibitions.

Question 36

What are opiates and opioids?

Answer 36

Opiates are a group of narcotics derived from the opium poppy that provide a euphoric rush and depress the nervous system. Opioids similar in the chemical structure are chemicals that act on opiate receptors but are not derived from the opium poppy. Opiates include morphine, heroin, codeine, Demerol, and similar drugs. The major medical application of opiates is relief from pain.

Question 37

What are barbiturates?

Answer 37

Barbiturates are addictive depressants used to relieve anxiety or induce sleep like Nembutal and Seconal. It can treat epilepsy, high blood pressure, and insomnia. Barbiturates are popular as street drugs because they are relaxing and produce mild euphoria.

Question 38

What are stimulants?

Answer 38

Stimulants increase the activity of the nervous system. Some stimulants are appealing as street drugs because they contribute to feelings of euphoria and self-confidence.

Question 39

What are amphetamines?

Answer 39

Amphetamines are derived from alpha-methyl-beta phenylethylamine, a colorless liquid consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen.

Question 40

What is cocaine?

Answer 40

Cocaine is derived from coca leaves. Cocaine is a stimulant that produces euphoria, reduces hunger, deadens pain, and boosts self-confidence. It works by binding to sites on sending neurons that reuptake molecules of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin.

Question 41

What is nicotine?

Answer 41

Nicotine is a stimulant in tobacco smoke. Nicotine stimulates the discharge of the hormone adrenaline and the release of neurotransmitters, including dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA, and endorphins. Nicotine has a relaxing effect and depresses the appetite and raises the metabolic rate.

Question 42

What are hallucinogenics?

Answer 42

Hallucinogenic is a substance that causes hallucinations. They produce hallucinations, relaxation, euphoria, and panic.

Question 43

What is marijuana?

Answer 43

Marijuana is a substance that is produced from the Cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana helps people relax and can elevate their mood, it sometimes produces mild hallucinations.

Question 44

What is LSD?

Answer 44

LSD or lysergic acid diethylamide; is a hallucinogen. It produces vivid, colorful hallucinations. Other hallucinogens include mescaline derived from the peyote cactus and phencyclidine (PCP). PCP was developed as an anesthetic and an animal tranquilizer.