Chapter 7 KEY TERMS Flashcards
Alpha brain wave pattern
Associated with a relaxed, calm, internally focussed wakeful state of consciousness, especially if eyes are closed
Altered state of consciousness
any state of consciousness that is distinctly different from normal waking
consciousness or any waking state in terms of level of awareness and experience
Arousal threshold
An individual’s sensitivity to being woken from a sleep state
Biological clock
innate timing that regulates one or more biological rhythms
Biological rhythm
a naturally occurring cycle of physiological, psychological or behavioural changes;
Beta brain wave pattern
associated with alertness and intensive mental activity during normal waking consciousness;
Brain wave
an electrical impulse in the brain
Brain wave pattern
patterns of electrical activity occurring in the brain
Consciousness
our awareness of internal events and external surroundings
Circadian rhythm
a biological rhythm involving physiological, psychological or behavioural changes that occur as part of a cycle with a duration of about 24 hours;
Deep sleep
a period of sleep when the heart rate and breathing slow to their lowest levels, muscles are completely relaxed with barely any body movement and no eye movements
Delta brain wave pattern
associated with deep, dreamless sleep or unconsciousness
EEG
Detects, amplifies, and records electrical activity in the brain
EMG
Detects, amplifies, and records electrical activity in the skeletal muscles
EOG
Detects, amplifies, and records electrical activity in the muscles of the eyes
Endogenous
originating within and organism
Exogenous
originating outside an organism
Hypnogram
a sleep graph typically showing sleep types and stages in relation to time
Induced state of consciousness
a temporary change in one’s normal mental state without being considered unconscious
Light sleep
the transitional stage between waking and sleeping
Melatonin
a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in relation to the amount of light that is detected; influences alertness and drowsiness and timing of the sleep–wake cycle; a higher melatonin level is associated with greater drowsiness and
vice versa
Naturally occuring state
altered states of consciousness such as sleep, dreaming during sleep and daydreaming when awake, that are naturally occurring in the course of everyday activities without the need for any aid
Normal waking consciousness
state of consciousness associated with being awake and aware of objects and events in the external world, and of one’s sensations, mental experiences and own existence
NREM sleep
non-rapid eye movement sleep with three stages involving increasingly deeper sleep
Psychological construct
a concept that can not be directly observed or measured but is widely understood to exist
REM sleep
rapid eye movement sleep
Sleep
a regularly occurring altered state of consciousness that typically occurs naturally and is primarily characterised
by partial or total suspension of conscious awareness
Sleep diary
a self-report record of an individual’s sleep and waking time activities
Sleep episode
an interval of sleep that may be voluntary or involuntary
Sleep latency
the length of time it takes to transition from being awake to being asleep
Sleep onset
the transition period from being awake to being asleep
Sleep-wake cycle
the 24 hour daily sleep pattern which
consists of approximately 16 hours of daytime wakefulness and 8 hours of night-time sleep
Sleep-wake pattern
sleep-wake cycle
States of consciousness
the different states of awareness that we experience
Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
an area of the brain’s hypothalamus that regulates the timing and activity of the sleep–wake cycle (and other biological rhythms)
Theta brain wave pattern
associated with drowsiness, falling asleep and creative activities
Ultradian rhythm
a biological rhythm involving physiological, psychological or behavioural changes that occur as part of a cycle shorter than 24 hours; compare with circadian rhythm
Video monitoring
one or more video cameras to monitor and record externally observable physiological responses throughout a sleep episode
