Chapter 6 Flashcards
What is consciousness?
our moment-to-moment awareness of ourselves and our environment
What are the 3 characteristics of consciousness?
SUBJECTIVE AND PRIVATE
others cannot directly know your reality and you cannot enter into other’s experiences
DYNAMIC
an ever-changing state
SELF-REFLECTIVE and CENTRAL TO OUR SENSE OF SELF
you are aware of your own experiences
What are the three ways to measure consciousness? State the benefits of each.
SELF-REPORT: most common. Best to see how the person subjectively feels
PHYSIOLOGICAL
BEHAVIOURAL: how they perform on tasks
both physiological and behavioural are not subjective and are therefore verifiable.
List and explain the 3 levels of consciousness under Freud’s model.
CONSCIOUS: thoughts, perceptions, other mental events we are aware of
PRECONSCIOUS: mental events outside our current awareness, but can be easily recalled under certain conditions
UNCONSCIOUS: events that cannot be brought into awareness under normal conditions.
What is the cognitive view of consciousness?
the cognitive view rejects Freud’s perspective and instead suggests that the unconscious functions as a support service to the conscious mind
What are the 2 types of processing under the cognitive view of consciousness?
CONTROLLED PROCESSEING:
conscious effort required, used for difficult/new tasks, and is slower
AUTOMATIC PROCESSING:
little conscious effort, used in routine tasks, and is faster.
What is one of the advantages of automatic processing? What is the downside to this?
it facilitates divided attention
can perform multiple tasks at the same time.
downfall: performance in the tasks decreases
Explain what the Stroop task is.
it is a list of colours written on a page.
one list is all black letters (uses one automatic process)
one list is color coordinated (uses two automatic processes and is faster)
last list is coloured in a way where the colour does not match the word. (requires controlled processes and is slower)
What is the emotional unconscious?
it is the part of the brain that unconsciously processes emotions.
ex. ever been sad and have no idea why you are sad
What is meant by the modular mind?
research shows that the brain is made up of many modules that process information separately but work together to create a whole experience
What is a circadian rhythm?
it is a 24 hr biological cycle
ex. sleep and wakefulness, hormones
What is the part of the brain that regulates circadian rhythms?
SUPRACHIASMATIC NUCLEI
SCN
Where is the SCN located?
in the hypothalamus
Where is melatonin secreted from?
the pineal gland
How many cycles per second (cps) do beta waves have?
15-30 cps
How many cycles per second (cps) do alpha waves have?
8-12 cps
When do beta waves occur?
when we are wakeful/alert
When do alpha waves occur?
when you begin to relax and are on your way to sleep
Go through the 4 stages of sleep and outline the characteristics of each.
STAGE 1: theta waves (3.5-7.5 cps) begin to occur. You are in light sleep and are easily awakened. Can experience body jerks. Lasts just a few minutes
STAGE 2: sleep spindles appear (1-2 sec bursts of rapid brain activity). More relaxed, HR and breathing slow, and harder to awaken.
STAGE 3: slow delta waves begin to appear (.5 to 2 cps) with large amplitudes.
STAGE 4: delta waves now dominate the pattern
What is the pattern of stages of sleep that you go through in the first 60-90 minutes of sleep.
1-2-3-4-3-2
this is the cycle that you go through between rem sleep
What are stages 3 and 4 of sleep collectively called?
slow-wave sleep
What type of sleep do you enter after the 90 minute cycle?
REM SLEEP
What is REM sleep and what happens during this phase?
It is a phase of sleep that happens at the end of the 90 minute cycle
EYE muscles become stimulated resulting in rapid movement
BODY becomes paralyzed because the brain inhibits muscle tone generation
MIND becomes highly active. Experience dreams, breathing increases, hr inc, brain activity resembles wakefulness
What happens to the REM sleep length as you go through the cycle multiple times?
it becomes longer
What areas of the brain contain centers that are important in regulating falling asleep?
the basal forebrain and brainstem
What area of the brain initiates REM sleep?
the reticular formation in the pons
State which brain centers undergo activity changes during REM sleep and whether they increase or decrease in activity.
LIMBIC system activity INC
(emotions)
VISUAL cortex INC
(image generation)
PREFRONTAL cortex DEC
(executive functions; goal setting, future planning, judgement)
What happens to the duration of sleep as we age?
Sleep less
Time in slow wave sleep (stage 3-4) declines
REM is decreases from infanthood through early childhood and then remains fairly constant
What are the three types of sleep deprivation?
SHORT-TERM: up to 45 hrs without sleep
LONG-TERM: more than 45hrs without sleep
PARTIAL: no more than 5hrs/night for one or more consecutive nights
What are the effects of sleep deprivation?
MOOD negatively impacted (see great changes here. This is the primary effect)
COGNITIVE & PHYSICAL performance decline
What are the 3 models that attempt to explain why we sleep?
RESTORATION MODEL
EVOLUTIONARY/CIRCADIAN SLEEP MODELS
RESTORATION AND EVOLUTIONARY THEORY
What is the restoration sleep model?
theorizes that sleep:
- recharges bodies
- allows recovery from mental and physical fatigue
Evidence is only mildly supporting; on days when we exercise we sleep 10 minutes more
What is the EVOLUTIONARY / CIRCADIAN MODEL?
theorizes that sleep is adaptive and is a mechanism for conserving energy.
What is the RESTORATION AND EVOLUTIONARY THEORY?
it combines evolutionary/circadian with the restoration model
What is Insomnia?
CHRONIC difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing restful sleep.
What is a pseudoinsomniac?
a person that complains of insomnia but sleep normally when examined in a lab
they have a perception of poor sleep
What is narcolepsy?
episodes of extreme daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks
cause is unknown
What is REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD)?
The loss of muscle tone does not occur as it should during REM sleep
enables them to act out there dreams
RESULTING IN:
muscle movement
muscle movement
sleep talking
What is cataplexy?
it may be experienced by narcoleptics
it is a sudden loss of muscle tone (resulting in paralysis) that is triggered by strong emotions
What phase is sleep walking most likely to occur in?
phase 3 and 4
What is sleep apnea?
cycle in which breathing stops and restarts during sleep
most commonly caused by obstruction of the upper airway. Is increasing as this is affected by obesity.
What are the causes of sleepwalking?
hereditary, stress, alcohol, illness, medications
How is sleepwalking treated?
psychotherapy, hypnosis, drugs
children most commonly experience sleepwalking but they grow out of it.
What is the difference between nightmares and night terrors?
NIGHTMARES: occur more often during REM sleep
NIGHT TERRORS: more intense and brings the sleeper to a near-panic state. more likely to occur stages 3-4
When do we dream?
at all stages of sleep but most during REM
REM dreams are also more vivid and story like
How does Freud’s psychoanalytic theory explain why we dream?
Theorizes that we dream because of wish fulfillment of our unconscious desires
TWO important concepts:
MANIFEST content: the surface story that the dreamer can report
LATENT content: the disguised psychological meaning
How does Activation-Synthesis theory explain why we sleep?
Two components
ACTIVATION: brain stem randomly stimulates higher brain centers
SYNTHESIS: brain creates a dream to make sense of these activations. Dreams are a best fit representation.
What are the theories that take on the cognitive approach to why we dream
PROBLEM SOLVING MODELS:
brain attempts to find creative solutions to our problems and conflicts
COGNITIVE PROCESS DREAM THEORIES: focus on the process of how we dream
What is an agonistic drug?
a drug that increases neurotransmitter activity
What is an antagonistic drug?
drugs that inhibit or decrease neurotransmitter activity
What does tolerance refer to?
decrease in responsivity to a drug
Explain what a compensatory response is. How does this relate to tolerance?
Your body attempts to maintain homeostasis
when you are exposed to a drug repeatedly your body develops physiological responses to counteract the effects of a drug
tolerance is a direct result of your body developing these responses
What is withdrawal?
it refers to the phase where the body is continuing its compensatory responses but the person has stopped taking the drug
as a result, individuals experience strong reactions opposite to what the drug would induce
Why is environment so important when it comes to drugs?
environment becomes associated with the drug through classical conditioning
body develops conditioned drug responses (compensatory responses start with exposure to the environment before the drug is even in your system)
as a result, People are much more vulnerable to relapse in the same environment they did drugs in and people are more likely to overdose in unfamiliar settings
What do depressants do?
Decrease nervous system activity
moderate doses: reduce feelings of anxiety and produce euphoria
high doses: slow vital life processes and can be fatal
What type of drug is alcohol and what neurotransmitter does it effect
AGONIST: increases the activity of GABA (an inhibitory neurotransmitter)
What are the two phases of reactions experienced under the influence of alcohol?
INITIAL “UPPER” PHASE: as it begins to inhibit brain activity, the inhibitory centers of the brain become impaired and we lose our inhibitions
“DOWNER” PHASE: brain activity becomes suppressed further resulting is depression
What is alcohol myopia?
shortsightedness in thinking when drunk
leads to risky behaviour
What do barbiturates and tranquilizers do?
depress the nervous system by increasing activity of GABA
ex. sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs
HIGHLY ADDICTIVE
What is a stimulant?
a drug that increases neural firing and arouse the nervous system
inc BP, HR, respiration, and alertness
What is an amphetamine?
it is a stimulant drug that:
increases dopamine and norepinephrine activity
can create schizophrenia-like hallucinations and delusions called AMPHETAMINE PSYCHOSIS
what does ecstasy (MDMA) do and how does it do it?
produces feelings of pleasure, elation, empathy, and warmth
does so by RELEASING SEROTONIN and by interfering with SEROTONIN REUPTAKE
very addictive but only moderate physiological withdrawal
How does cocaine affect the brain?
increases activity of norepinephrine and dopamine by blocking reuptake
What are some of the risks of cocaine?
risk of cognitive impairment/brain damage
What is crack cocaine?
a chemically converted form of cocaine that acts much faster and more intensely
What are some examples of opiates?
morphine, codeine, and heroin
What are opiates and what do they do?
drugs made from the opium poppy
bind to receptors activated by endorphins resulting in:
- pain relief
- cause mood changes including euphoria
highly addictive and traumatic withdrawal: 25% of users become addicted
What are hallucinogens? what do they do?
powerful mind altering drugs that produce hallucinations
distort or intensify sensory experience
ex LSD
What does LSD do in the brain?
inhibits serotnin
How does marijuana affect the brain?
increase GABA and dopamine activity
What are the three misconceptions about marijuana?
1) Users become unmotivated and apathetic (called amotivational syndrome)
2) Users start using more dangerous drugs
3) That there are no significant dangers with use
What areas of the brain experience changes in activity during meditation?
FRONTAL cortex
PARIETAL cortex
CINGULATE cortex
What is hypnosis?
a state of heightened suggestibility
What is hypnotic induction?
the process by which the hypnotist leads a person into hypnosis
What does hypnosis do?
increases pain tolerance
cannot conclusively say it enhances memory
what are the two hypnosis theories?
DISSOCIATION THEORIES
SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORIES
explain dissociations theories’ take on hypnosis.
Hypnosis involves a division of consciousness
person simultaneously experience two streams of consciousness:
1) one stream responds to suggestions
2) other stream monitors behaviour but remains in the back ground (hidden observer)
Explain social cognitive theories’ take on hypnosis.
Hypnotic experiences are a result of peoples expectations
person is not faking, but is absorbed in the role of being hypnotized
