Chapter 6: States of Consciousness Flashcards
Consciousness
-is out awareness of ourselves in our environment
-is is subjective and private, every individual has their own
-it is dynamic, it changes
-it is self-reflective and central to our sense of self, how the mind is aware of its own consciousness is very important
Levels of Consciousness
-freud proposed 3 levels
#1: Conscious
#2: Preconscious (outside current awareness, but may be recalled)
#3: Unconscious
The Cognitive Unconscious
-views conscious mental life as complementary forms of information processing
-Controlled Processing: voluntarily putting in effort, like studying, planning
-Automatic Processing: performed without much conscious effort (driving)
-Divided Attention: more difficult
The Emotional Unconscious
-emotion and motivation operate unconsciously
The Molar Mind
-the mind is a collection of largely separate and interacting molecules
-the subjective experience of consciousness arises from the varying and integrated activity of modules (sensation, memory, etc.)
Circadian Rhythm, Biological Clocks
-daily biological cycles controlled by brain’s suprachiasmatic nuclei (SNC) in the hypothalamus
-it is linked to the Pineal Gland, responsible for releasing melatonin for sleep
-adenosine is also known to help sleep by decreasing alertness
-gradual or sudden environmental changes disrupt our circadian rhythms
-Seasonal Affective Disorder: depression during a specific season
-Jet Lag
Sleep
-when awake, the brain has high frequency, low amplitude beta waves
-when relaxed and drowsy, the brain has low frequency, high amplitude alpha waves
Stages of Sleep
1: alpha waves turn into theta waves, we are easily awakened
#2: sleep spindles and brain-wave activity transitions
#3: regular appearance of slow and large delta waves
#4: delta waves dominate the brain activity
-*our brains do 1-2-3-4-3-2
REM Sleep
-follows step 2
-rapid eye movements
-vivid dreams
-Sleep Paralysis: brain sends signals to make voluntary muscle movements difficult but the body is awake
How much do we sleep?
-newborns sleep 16 hours a day, half in REM
-19-30 y/o sleep less, elders sleep very little
-as we age, time spend in 3 and 4 decline
-genetics and environment affect sleep length
-sleep deprivation inhibits functioning, mood, cognition
Why do we sleep?
-Restoration model: helps to recharge body and brain
-Evolutionary/circadian sleep models: helps with specie survival (predators at night)
-REM sleep is vital for mental functioning
-Memory Consolidation: turning short-term memory into long-term memory
Sleep Disorders
-Insomnia: chronic difficulty to fall asleep
-Narcolepsy: sudden sleep attacks, falls into REM
-REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder: body’s muscles aren’t stopped like they should be
-Sleep Apnea: sleeper stops breathing, wakes up, then falls asleep
-Sleepwalking: occurs in stage 3 or 4
-Nightmares: occurs in REM sleep
-Night Terrors: sleepers suddenly sit up and scram, occurs in stage 3 or 4
Dreams
-REM Sleep
-Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
-the main purpose of dreams is wish fulfillment
Activation Synthesis Theory
-during REM sleep, the brain activates with random neural activity
-the cortex tries its best to interpret and understand it, which is why dreams are often so bizarre
Problem Solving Dreams
-helps us find creative solutions because there are no reality constraints
Cognitive Process Dreams
-dreams and wake are produced by the same brain functions
-ability to dream develops with age, since imagery skills does
Daydreams
-less vivid, requires greater visual imagery
Drugs
-they chemically alter brain consciousness
-drugs can pass through the blood brain barrier
Agonist
-a drug that increases neurotransmitter activity
-eg –> pain Relievers activate and bind to endorphin receptors that would otherwise bind to pain
Antagonist
- a drug that inhibits or decreases activity
Tolerance
-decreasing responsivity, larger doses required, stems from the body’s attempt to maintain homeostasis
Depressants
-decrease nervous system activity, reduces feelings
-Alcohol: increases GABA activity to decrease brain activity
-Barbiturates (sleeping pills) and Tranquilizers (anti-anxiety): also increases GABA activity (GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter)
Stimulants
- increase neural firing
-Amphetamines: increase dopamine, reduces appetite and fatigue
-Cocaine
-Opiates
-Hallucinogens
-Marijuana
Hypnosis
-someone is guided by another person, they are in a state of heightened suggestibility
-involuntary control
-Allergens: some people may no longer be allergic to something if told not to be
-Pain Tolerance: hypnosis can act as an anesthetic
-Memory: make more errors
Dissociation Theory
-a division of unconsciousness into two streams: responding to questions and being in the background but still aware of everything
Social Cognitive Theory
-people get hypnotized only because of their expectations of what happens to a hypnotized person, so they are more motivated to conform to that role
