conciseness (4) Flashcards
Consciousness
our awareness of internal & external stimuli
Internal Stimuli
pain, hunger, thirst, being aware of our thoughts and emotions
External Stimuli
seeing the light from the sun, feeling the warmth of a room, hearing the voice of a friend
Wakefulness
high levels of sensory awareness, thought, and behavior; being alert
Sleep
low level state of physical activity and reduced sensory awareness (distinct periods of rest that occur during wakefulness)
Altered State of Consciousness
state in which there is a shift of the quality or pattern of mental activity as compared to wakefulness (daydreaming, amnesia, medication, intoxication)
Circadian rhythm
biological rhythm that occurs over approximately 24 hours
Sleep-wake cycle
one of the main circadian rhythms. Linked to our environment’s natural light dark cycle
Hypothalamus
homeostasis center (LSU Memorial Tower helps show what time of day it is)
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)
the brain’s clock mechanism (Bell tower clock)
Enables our internal clock to be synched with the outside world
Pineal Gland
releases melatonin (sleep) and maintains various biological rhythms (Person who rings the bell)
Melatonin
hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycle (ringing of the LSU Bell)
Stimulates by darkness (sleepy)
Inhibited by light (wakeful)
Sleep
Low levels of physical activity and reduced sensory awareness
Sleep Regulation
The switching between sleep and wakefulness & coordinating this cycle the outside world (disrupted by jet lag, sleep disorders (insomnia))
Sleep Deprivation
Insufficient Sleep
Sleep Debt
Chronic insufficient sleep
Sleep Rebound
Tendency to fall asleep faster during subsequent opportunities for sleep (sleep debt)
makes up for lost sleep
How much sleep do we need?
-depends on life stage
-adults: 7-9 average
Adaptive Perspective Theory
Function of Sleep: Essential to restore resources expended during the day
Explains when we sleep (avoid predators in the darkness)
Restorative Perspective (cognitive)
Physical Health restoration (replenishes chemicals, repairs cellular damage)
Mental Health Functioning (attention, decision-making, memory, emotions)
Explains why we sleep
Electroencephalogram (EEG):
Brain waves are studied by placing electrodes on the scalp
When neurons fire, they produce electrical activity (brainwaves)
Researchers can record electrical activity in response to certain stimuli or during different states of consciousness
Brainwave activity (measured with EEG) changes dramatically across the different stages of sleep
Rapid-Eye movement (REM) Sleep
Eyes move rapidly under the eyelids
Brain waves appear similar to those during wakefulness
Dreaming
Non Rapid-Eye movement (NREM) Sleep
distinguished by brain wave activity
NREM Transitional Stage
Occurring between wakefulness and sleep
-Rates of respiration and heartbeat slow down
-Muscle tension decreases (relaxation)
-Core body temperature decrease (body cools off)
-“Light Sleep” (mostly alpha waves, easy to wake someone up)
NREM Deep Relaxation Phase
Theta waves
-Sleep Spindles (rapid bursts of high frequency within the brainwaves)
-k-complexes (high amplitudes of brain activity)
NREM 3: Slow-wave Sleep Pulse
-Respiration and heart rate slow down further
-“Deep Sleep” (delta waves, difficult to wake someone up)
Dreams
Emotion regulation, crates new synapses in the brain (learning and memory)
-6 years of our lives are spent dreaming
-real-life worries, hopes, desires, known people and places
Wish Fulfillment Theory
Freud
Dreams preserve our sanity by allowing us to gratify forbidden or unrealistic wishes
Dream content may be so threatening or disgusting that it was disguised in dreams
Manifest Content
dream content
latent content
dreams true meaning
Information Process Theory
Rosalind Carter
dreams reflect life events that are important to us
Activation Synthesis Hypothesis
Dreams are created because neuron waves are sent from the brain and then the cerebral cortex tries to make sense of it in pons
Insomnia
difficulty falling or staying asleep
sleep apnea
multiple bursts of not breathing
narcolepsy
sudden slip into REM sleep
night terrors
common in children; rare in adults
-extreme panic, fear, and screaming
REM behavior disorder
mechanism that blocks the movement of the voluntary muscles fails
-results in kicking punching yelling while dreaming
sleepwalking
eyes open, but still asleep
Substance Use Disorder
pattern of drug use despite negative consequences
physical dependence
need to take a drug to avoid changes in normal bodily functions and withdrawal symptoms
Psychological Dependence
emotional need for a drug; thoughts about getting/using a drug
Tolerance
Someone requires more and more of a certain drug to fell the effects
Withdrawl
symptoms when drug use is stopped
Stimulants
-increase neural activity
-reward and pleasure (highly addictive)
-caffeine, nicotine, cocaine
Depressants
-suppress the CNS activity
-quiet the brain
-alchohol, anti-anxiety meds
Opioids
-decrease pain
-highly addictive
-herion, morphine, fentanyl
hallucinogens
-changes in experiences
-hallucinations
-LSD, ketamine, cannabis
Hypnosis
extreme focus and attention where little attention is given to the external stimuli
-pain management, anxiety, depression
-in control of behaviors
-“stage of suggestibility”
Disassociation Theory
one stream of mental activity occurs without awareness or control (somehow drive home without remembering)
Social-Cognitive Theory
-people playing the role that is expected of them
-fulfilling social expectations
Meditation
-increasers awareness and mindfulness
-relaxed state
-stress management, sleep, mood & anxiety disorders, pain management
