Chapter 5 Flashcards
an excitatory neurotransmitter that is commonly found in the body; among the many functions of ACh, it is active within the nicotinic system.
acetylcholine(ACh)
theory of dreaming which posits that dreams are meaningless patterns of neural activity that the dreamer re-interprets to add organization and coherence. The neural activity associated with dreaming is theorized to aid memory consolidation, health, and other cognitive abilities.
activation synthesis
also known as Dr. Strangelove Syndrome; the phenomenon whereby an individual performs movements that they are unaware they are performing; suggests that the ability to perform an action is not dependent upon conscious awareness.
alien arm syndrome
a state of consciousness that is characterized by awareness that is not fully controlled; therefore, things that one experiences during an altered state of consciousness may be misperceived and are not reliable perceptions of reality; there are several types of altered states of consciousness such as substance-induced or behaviorally-induced states
altered state of consciousness
individuals who suffer from being unable to form new memories since the trauma that caused the amnesia
anterograde amnesiacs
the concentration or focus of one’s cognitive resources towards specific stimuli or patterns; attention is considered a highly limited resource in cognition.
attention
a term used to describe the amount of cognitive resources allocated to a specific task; can be thought of as a finite resource that one can spend on one or more activities.
attentional cost
activities that one engages in which are usually routine or simple, requiring relatively less attention in order to perform sufficiently; one often learns to automate tasks in order to more minimize their demand on cognitive resources.
Automatic/automated tasks
a method of inducing an altered state of consciousness whereby one engages in repetitive and/or enduring movements, rituals, or other activities.
behavioral induction
neurological disorders associated with sleep
cataplexy
the failure to discern changes between two sequentially presented stimuli that vary slightly; this research suggests how little of the scene we can directly attend to, and how attention is directed.
change blindness
concept used to express the degree to how aware one is of their current state; can change drastically from person to person, time of day, or body chemistry; can be altered by physical, pharmacological, and behavioral conditions
consciousness
activities that one engages in that are usually novel or complex, and those that require direct attention in order to perform sufficiently.
controlled tasks
the feeling that one is experiencing the repetition of a situation, even if it is, in fact, novel.
deja vu
Operating a vehicle while engaged in an alternate task such as talking on the phone, texting, changing the radio station, lighting a cigarette; allocating attention to each of these tasks reduces awareness of unexpected events that might occur while driving.
distracted driving
the allocation of cognitive resources to multiple stimuli simultaneously; the more divided one’s attention is the lower quality their performance will likely be in those tasks
divided attention
also known as alien arm syndrome; the phenomenon whereby an individual performs movements that they are unaware they are performing; suggests that the ability to perform action is not dependent upon conscious awareness.
Dr. Strangelove Syndrome
a drug whose chemicals mimic the actions of naturally occurring substances within the body, therefore inducing an altered state of consciousness by enhancing naturally occurring levels of these substances.
drug agonist
a drug whose chemicals block or reverse the actions of naturally occurring substances within the body, therefore inducing an altered state of consciousness by blocking naturally occurring levels of these substances
drug antagonist
method of inducing an altered state of consciousness whereby drugs mimic or alter the neurotransmitters in one’s brain.
drug induction
the recording of electrical activity along the scalp by measuring the firing of neurons within the brain; among other things, this technique may be used to assess brain activity during the sleep cycles.
electroencephalography (EEG)
memories that are inaccurate or represent situations that have never occurred.
false memories
a state of consciousness that is characterized by one’s ability to intentionally control and evaluate their perceptual experiences; when fully conscious, one is more likely to perceive things as they truly appear and they will evaluate these perceptions with respect to their own life experiences
full consciousness
is a behavioral state in which a person is in an altered state of attention that makes them particularly susceptible to suggestions.
hypnosis
the failure to notice large or obvious events because attention is engaged elsewhere; this research suggests how attention is directed.
inattentional blindness
is the condition in which a person, despite fatigue and a desire for sleep, remains constantly awake.
insomnia
a research method in which an individual is asked to describe a plausible event from the past that has not actually occurred. Recall of this fake event is encouraged by coupling it with real events and the testimony of trusted sources as to its validity.
lost-in-the mall paradigm
the intentional process of controlling the content and activity of dreams; it has recently been utilized in clinical practice in confronting recurrences of trauma that appear in dreams.
lucid dreaming
process whereby memories are encoded and organized for later retrieval.
memory consolidation
neurological disorders associated with sleep
narcolepsy
a method of inducing an altered state of consciousness whereby physical constraints or conditions, such as extreme temperatures, sleep deprivation, or lack of nutrition affect one’s level of awareness.
physical induction
the fifth stage that may occur during the sleep cycles; during this cycle, one experiences rapid eye movements, intense dreaming, increased heart rate and respiration, genital arousal, and loss of voluntary muscle control (known as sleep paralysis). EEG measurements of the brain show similar activity to waking/active states. This cycle lasts about 5 to 30 minutes.
rapid eye movement (REM)
a substance that increases the quantity or potency of a particular neurotransmitter by preventing the reabsorption of that neurotransmitter, therefore allowing it to remain active in the synapse for a longer period of time.
reuptake inhibitor
attention that one intentionally directs towards parts of their surroundings while disregarding other parts of their surroundings; it is strongly guided by one’s own expectations and beliefs
selective attention
a neurotransmitter involved in appetite, sleep, and mood; because of its involvement in these, serotonin is often targeted by pharmaceutical drugs in psychotropic medications for the treatment of depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders.
serotonin
a class of drugs that affects the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain by preventing it from being reabsorbed by the axon terminals from which it was originally released.
serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
an altered state of consciousness associated with deep rest and inactivity; very important in memory consolidation, physical healing, and promoting mental stability and alertness.
sleep
also known as sleepwalking; a variety of behaviors including walking, running, opening doors, or even more demanding; it typically occurs in about 20% of children and adolescents, and is very rare in adults.
somnambulism
the second stage of the sleep cycles; during this cycle, one is asleep and experiences a continued decrease in respiration in addition to a decrease in body temperature and occasional muscle twitching. EEG measurements of the brain will tend to display slow and even theta waves with occasional high activity “spindles” (bursts of neural activity). This sleep cycle lasts for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Stage N1
the third stage of the sleep cycles; during this cycle, one transitions to deep sleep where their body reaches a consistent low temperature and respiration. EEG measurements of the brain show a transition to the slow pattern of delta wave activity (the slowest neural pattern). This sleep cycle lasts for about 10 to 20 minutes.
Stage N2
the fourth stage of the sleep cycles; deep sleep. EEG measurements of the brain will show consistent delta wave activity. This sleep cycle lasts for about 15 to 30 minutes. During this cycle, somnambulism and bed-wetting are most likely to occur.
Stage N3
the initial stage of activity as one begins to fall asleep; during this cycle, an individual is still awake but nearly asleep with slow respiration and occasional muscle spasms. EEG measurements of the brain move from the more sporadic patterns associated with being alert to more even theta waves. This sleep cycle lasts for about 5 minutes
Stage W (wake)
a long-standing psychological phenomenon that demonstrates how automating routine tasks helps us more efficiently process information, and failing to automate tasks results in a higher demand of our cognitive resources.
stroop effect
a psychological task which requires participants to categorize colors that are used to write the name of a different color, revealing the difficulty of not reading a presented word.
stroop task
characteristics that may indicate that one is in an altered state of consciousness; including pupil dilation, fatigue, slowed processing, loss of focus and attention, loss of motor control, loss of inhibition, or hallucinations.
symptoms of altered conscious
an involuntary and automatic phenomenon whereby one experiences a sensory stimulus not directly related to the sensory receptors (e.g. hearing a color or seeing a sound).
synesthesia or synaesthesia
a concept used to express mental activity that one is not aware of, either preconsciously (before awareness) and/or subconsciously (below awareness)
unconsciousness
