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PSY100 > Chapter 5 > Flashcards

Chapter 5 Flashcards

1
Q

Metacognition?

A

The process which we think about thinking

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2
Q

Consciousness?

A

An individuals awareness of external events and internal sensations under a condition of arousal

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3
Q

What is arousal and what is it determined by?

A

Its the physiological state of being engaged with the environment, determined by the reticular activating system

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4
Q

What does the reticular activating system include?

A

Brain stem, medulla and thalamus

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5
Q

What is the Theory of Mind? How does it relate to autism?

A

Its the individual’s understanding that they and others can think, fell, perceive, and have private thoughts.
Simon Baron-Cohen (who is an expert on autism) suggested that we are born with a mechanism that is ready to develop the theory of mind while autistics aren’t.

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6
Q

What are the Five Levels of Awareness?

A

Higher-level consciousness, Lower-level consciousness, Altered states of consciousness, Subconscious awareness and No awareness

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7
Q

Higher-level consciousness?

A

Consists of controlled processes: individuals have to actively focus on a task.

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8
Q

Executive function? (part of higher-level consciousness)

A

Key aspect of controlled processing that refers to complex cognitive processes (thinking, planning, and problem solving)

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9
Q

Cognitive control? (part of higher-level consciousness)

A

Aspect of executive function. It is the ability to maintain attention by reducing interfering thoughts.

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10
Q

Lower-level consciousness?

A

Includes Automatic Processes: state of consciousness that requires little attention. (texting while talking to someone)
Daydreaming: lies between active consciousness and sleeping. (can remind us of important things ahead)

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11
Q

Altered states of consciousness?

A

Mental states that are different from normal awareness. Ranges from losing one’s sense of self to hallucinating

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12
Q

Subconscious Awareness?

A

Can happen while awake:
Incubation: subconscious processing that leads to a solution after a break from conscious thought about the problem
Or during sleep and dreams, which are not the absence of consciousness, but rather low levels of it. When people sleep they remain aware of external stimuli

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13
Q

No awareness? What was Frued’s view on unconscious thought?

A

Basically when someone is unconscious.
He believed the unconscious thought to be a storage area for unacceptable wishes, feelings and thoughts that are beyond conscious awareness (having sex with your parents).

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14
Q

What are Biological Rhythms?

A

They are periodic physiological fluctuations in the body

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15
Q

Circadian Rhythms?

A

Daily behavioral or physiological cycles such as sleep/wake cycle or body temperature.

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16
Q

What is the Superchiasmatic nucleus?

A

Its a small brain structure that uses input from retina to sync its own rhythm with daily light/dark cycle.
Individuals who are totally blind experience non-24-hour sleep/wake cycle disorder, because their Circadian rhythms dont follow the 24-hour cycle.

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17
Q

Jet lag? Social Jet lag?

A

The result of two or more body rhythms being out of sync. (happens when you travel hence “jet”)
Social jet lag means that even without traveling, the person’s sleep clock can be desynced by having a bad sleep schedule.

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18
Q

What are some explanations of why we need sleep?

A

1) Animals need to protect themselves at night. 2) Conserving calories. 3) Restore brain and body.
4) Centers of brain plasticity and argues that sleep plays a role in consolidating memories.

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19
Q

Why is your thinking less efficient the less you sleep?

A

Sleep deprivation decreases brain activity in the thalamus and prefrontal cortex. so, the tired brain must compensate by using different pathways when thinking.

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20
Q

What is Fatal Familial Insomnia? (FFI)

A

involves a progressive inability to sleep, individuals may hallucinate or enact dreams.

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21
Q

Describe how the brain waves are different when awake VS when you’re asleep

A

Awake: Fast, irregular, low amplitude waves
Asleep: Slow, regular, high amplitude waves

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22
Q

Stage W consists of what type of waves?

A

“W” stands for wake. It has Beta waves: reflect concentration and alertness. They don’t form a consistent pattern.
Alpha waves: associated with relaxation/drowsiness. Slow wave, increased amplitude and more synchronous.

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23
Q

Stage N1 Sleep? What type of wave do we experience?

A

(Non-Rem1). Characterized by drowsy sleep. Individual may experience myoclonic jerks: sudden muscle movements.
Theta waves: Slower frequency and greater amplitude than alpha waves.

24
Q

Stage N2 sleep?

A

Muscle activity decreases. No longer consciously aware of environment. Theta waves continue but are interspersed with sleep spindles (brief high-freq waves).

25
Q

Stage N3 sleep?

A

Characterized by Delta waves: slowest and highest-amplitude brain waves during sleep.
Delta sleep is our deepest sleep, also called slow-wave sleep

26
Q

Stage R sleep?

A

After N1-N3, sleepers drift to wakefulness. REM (rapid eye movement) is an active stage of sleep where the most vivid dreams occurs. REM wave are similar to those of wakefulnes

27
Q

What are 3 important neurotransmitters involved in sleep?

A

Serotonin, norepinephrine and acetylcholine. REM is initiated by rise of acetylcholine (which activates the cerebral cortex). Ends with a rise of serotonin & norepinephrine.

28
Q

Insomnia?

A

problem falling asleep, waking up during the night or waking up too early

29
Q

Somnambulism? Somniloquy?

A

formal term for sleep walking (occurs in deepest stages of sleep. Somniloquy is the formal term for sleep walking.

30
Q

Nightmare? Night terror?

A

Frightening dream waking you up from REM sleep. Worsening nightmares are associated with increased stress.
Night terror is a sudden arousal from sleep with intense fear such as a rapid heart rate or screaming.

31
Q

Narcolepsy?

A

Overpowering urge to sleep (even while standing or talking). These individuals immediately enter REM sleep instead of going through the first 4 stages.

32
Q

Sleep apnea? How is it treated?

A

Individuals stop breathing because the windpipe fails to open OR brain processes involved in respiration fail to work properly. Treated by wearing a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) which sends pressurized air though mask.

33
Q

What is Frued’s take on dreams?

A

Frued believes dreams are made up of
Manifest Content: the dream’s surface content.
and Latent Content: the dream’s hidden meaning

34
Q

Cognitive theory of dreaming?
What does default network mean and how does it relate?

A

States that dreams are essentially a subconscious cognitive processes. it also ties the brain activity that occurs during dreams to the activity during waking life.
Default network refers to the collection of neuron that are active during mind wandering and daydreaming.
Research suggests that dreaming may also emerge from the activity of this network

35
Q

What does Cognitive theory of dreaming argue and what theory does it oppose?

A

It argues that dreams should be views as a mental simulation of our everyday waking thoughts. The purpose of dreams is to processes info, solve problems and think creatively. This opposes the Activation-synthesis theory of dreaming.

36
Q

What is the Activation-synthesis theory of dreaming?

A

States that dreaming occurs when the cerebral cortex synthesizes neural signals coming from lower part of brain stem. In other words, the brain is trying to make sense of those random brain activities that occur in sleep.

37
Q

What do psychoactive drugs do?

A

They act on the nervous system. They alter consciousness, modify perception and change mood. Continued use leads to tolerance.

38
Q

Physical Dependence?

A

The physiological need for a drug. (physical pain and craving)

39
Q

Psychological Dependence?

A

Strong desire to continue using the drug for emotional reasons. (less stress)

40
Q

How does addiction occur?

A

Psychoactive drugs increase dopamine levels in the brain’s reward pathways, located in Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) and Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc)

41
Q

What are the 3 types of Psychoactive drugs?

A

Depressants, Stimulants and Hallucinogens

42
Q

What do Depressants do? State some examples

A

Slows down mental and physical activity.
Alcohols: slow down brain activity, increases concentration of GABA (brain’s break peddle)
Barbiturates: decrease CNS activity. Examples are Nembutal and Seconal. They are prescribed as sleeping aids. It is the most used drug in suicide attempts, has been replaced by tranquilizers.
Tranquilizers: reduce anxiety and induce relaxation. Examples are valium and xanax
Opiates (narcotics): depress CNS activity, they are powerful painkillers. Examples are morphine & heroin.

43
Q

What do Stimulants do? Give some examples

A

Increase CNS activity.
Caffeine: overindulgence is called caffeinism
Nicotine: main psychoactive ingredient in all forms of smoking/smokeless tobacco
Amphetamines: use to boost energy, stay awake or lose weight. Example is crystal methamphetamine.
MDMA: also called ecstasy. Has both hallucinogenic and stimulant properties

44
Q

What do Hallucinogens do? Give some examples

A

They modify a person’s perceptual experience and produce visual images that aren’t real.
Marijuana: disrupts membranes of neurons and affects the functioning of a variety of Neurotransmitters and hormones.
LSD: Changes the shape and glow of objects.

45
Q

Hypnosis?

A

Altered state of consciousness where the person is unusually receptive to suggestions.
A hypnotic state is more similar to being relaxed rather than asleep.

46
Q

What are the 4 steps of hypnosis?

A
  1. Make sure person is comfy
  2. Tell person to concentrate of something (imagined scene)
  3. Inform the person what you expect in the hypnotic state (you feel relaxed/floating sensation)
  4. Suggest certain events that you know will occur (your eyes are getting tired)
47
Q

What is the Divided consciousness view of hypnosis?

A

Proposes that hypnosis splits consciousness into 2 separate components. 1) the hypnotist’s commands. 2) “hidden observer”, which is the part that stays in contact with reality while the other part of consciousness isn’t.

48
Q

What is the Social Cognitive behavior view of hypnosis

A

Says that hypnosis is a normal state where the hypnotized person behave the way they believe a hypnotized person should behave.

49
Q

What are things that were treated using hypnosis?

A

Alcoholism, Somnambulism, depression, suicidal tendencies, PTSD, overeating, diabetes and smoking. Treatments however, rarely achieve dramatic results unless the person is motivated to change.

50
Q

What is Meditation

A

A form of altered consciousness, attaining a peaceful state of mind in which thoughts aren’t preoccupied by worry.

51
Q

What are the 2 factors shares by most meditative practices?

A

Focused attention: bringing awareness to ones life and thoughts
Open monitoring: capacity to observe one’s thoughts without getting preoccupied by them.

52
Q

Mindfulness meditation example?

A

A girl with cancer was able to get rid of her pain by meditating. Instead of ignoring it, by focusing on her pain, she was able to isolate the pain from her emotional response to it.

53
Q

What is the goal of Lovingkindness meditation?

A

the goal is the development of loving and acceptance to oneself and others.

54
Q

Hypnagogic reverie?

A

It is the overwhelming feeling of wellness right before you sleep.

55
Q

What happens when a person switches from their normal waking state to a meditative state?

A

There is an increase in the activation of the basal ganglia & prefrontal cortex and also a decrease in the activation of anterior cingulate (brain area associated with conscious awareness).

PSY100 (11 decks)

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