Chapter 4 - Consciousness And Its Variations Flashcards
Consciousness
your immediate awareness of your internal states - your thoughts, sensations, memories - and the external world around you
William James
Described consciousness as a stream or river
- consciousness allows people ti integrate past, present and future behavior, guide future actions, and maintain a sense of self
Characteristics of attention
- Attention has limited capacity and is selective
- Attention can be blind (you can miss something right in front of your face)
Misdirection
magicians exploit the limited, selective nature of attention
Inattentional Blindness
one does not notice some significant object or event that is in clear field of vision
Inattentional Deafness
failing to hear an auditory message when attention is elsewhere
The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (The Body’s Clock)
clues and cues the environment and tells us what to do and when to do it
- Environmental cues for circadian rhythm
Pineal gland
gland that produces the hormone melatonin (helps regulate sleep)
What is the best cue to regulate cycles (sleep)?
light (bright light), especially sunlight
- light is detected by photoreceptors in the supra charismatic nucleus in the hypothalamus
What are the two basic types of sleep?
REM: rapid eye movement
NREM: non-rapid eye movement or quiet sleep
Sleep Paralysis
being paralyzed while sleeping, you actually feel like what you are dreaming is real
Beta Brain Waves
Brain wave pattern associated with alert wakefulness
Alpha Brain Waves
brain waves associated with relaxed wakefulness and drowsiness
Stages of NREM sleep
Stage 1: drowsiness/light sleep (alpha and theta waves)
Stage 2: light sleep (alpha and theta waves)
Stage 3 + 4: slow wave sleep (deep sleep) (delta waves)
What waves are associated with REM sleep?
alpha and beta waves
What would happen if you were not completely paralyzed during REM sleep?
you would begin to act out your dreams
How many minutes are in each sleep cycle?
90 minutes
Why do we sleep?
to clear brain of metabolic waste products; maintaining immune function, learning and memory, and regulating mood
NREM and Memory Formation
slow-wave sleep contributes to forming new episodic memories, which are memories of personally experienced events
REM sleep and Memory Formation
help consolidate procedural memories which involve learning a new skill or task until it can be performed
Sleep Thinking
Occurs during NREM slow wave sleep
- vague, bland, thought like ruminations about real life events
When do most dreams happen?
REM sleep
- they are more vivid during this cycle
- people report a dream about 90 percent of the time
Nightmares
Vivid and frightening or unpleasant anxiety dreams during REM sleep
- increased by stress, caffeine, and lack of sleep
- most common in children (10% of adults experience nightmares weekly)
- not usually an indicator of a sleep or psychological disorder
Night Terrors
happens during slow wave sleep
- don’t wake up but you have a physical reaction
Dyssomnias
sleep disorders involving disruptions in the amount, quality, or timing of sleep
- ex. insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy
Parasomnias
are undesired arousal or actions during sleep
- sleep terrors, sleep sex, murder, talking
Strategies for preventing sleep problems
- monitor intake of stimulants
- establish a quiet bedtime routine
- create the conditions for a restful sleep
- establish a consistent sleep-wake schedule
Hypnosis
cooperative (must be willing) social interaction in which the person responds to the hypnotists suggestions with changes in perception, memory and behavior
Psychoactive Drugs
chemical substances that can alter arousal, mood, thinking, sensations and perception
What are the four categories of Psychoactive drugs?
depressants, stimulants, psychedelics and opiates
What type of influence do drugs have on brain activity?
- alter synaptic transmission amount neurons
- increase/decrease neurotransmitter amounts
- blocking, or mimicking/influencing a particular neurotransmitter’s effects
- ruin the reward pathway
Physical Dependence
brain and body chemistry have physically adapted to a drug
Drug Tolerance
increasing amounts needed to gain original effect
Withdrawal symptoms
unpleasant physical reaction to lack of drug, plus intense craving
Drug Rebound Effect
Withdrawal symptoms are the opposite of the drugs action
Drug Abuse
recurrent drug use resulting in disruption of academic, social or occupational functioning in legal or psychological problems
Change in reward circuitry
normal reinforcing experiences of everyday life are no longer satisfying or pleasurable
Addiction
condition where a person feels physically compelled to take a substance
Epigenetic
genes for addiction can be passed down to offspring
Depressants
depress or inhibit CNS activity
- produce drowsiness, sedation or sleep
- relieve anxiety and lower inhibitions
- ex. alcohol, inhalants, tranquilizers (xanex)
Alcohol
Psychological effects: produce mild euphoria, lessens inhibitions by depressing brain centers that are responsible for judgement and control
Opiates
Addictive drugs that relieve pain, produce mild feelings of euphoria
- occupy endorphin receptors in the brain, mimicking the effect of endorphins (alter perception of pain
Stimulants
increase brain activity
- ex. caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, etc.
Caffeine
Promotes wakefulness, mental alertness, vigilance, and faster thought processes
- stimulates dopamine in brain’s prefrontal cortex
- can produce anxiety, restlessness and increased heart rate (ruins normal sleep patterns)
Psychedelic Drugs
create profound perceptual distortions, alter mood, and affect thinking
- means mind manifesting
ex. LSD, marijuana
