Consciousness Flashcards
Define consciousness
Mental awareness of internal, external events; continuous stream of thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions
Define unconsciousness
No awareness
Define selective attention
Awareness only focused on things relating to your goals in the moment while tuning everything else out (limited)
What causes a seperation between awareness and consciousness
Meditation
Drug use
Hypnosis
Sleep deprivation
Define mind wandering
Brain shifting focus from task at hand to other distractions
What factor can influence driving to the point of similarity with driving under substance influnce
Cell phones, even hands free
Are drunk driver or texters and drivers more likely to drive aggresively
Drunk aggresive, texters sluggish
Define automaticity
Performing tasks with minimal conscious awareness (similar to habits); can therefore perform many complex habits at once
Define biological clocks
Repeating internal cycles regulating physiological responses (menstruation, appetite, sleep, etc)
Define circadian ryhthm
Biological clock synchronized with 24hour day cycle
Define diurnal
Awake during the day (Humans)
What does the circadian rythm affect in the morning
Increased bod temp, cortisol, BP
What does the circadian rythm affect at night
Increases melatonin
Which region of the brain stimulates the circadian rythm + how
SCN: suprachiasmatic nucleus, through light, triggering pineal gland to dec/inc melationin
How are the stages of sleep distincted
Determining changes in electrical activity in brain + physiological body responses
What are the 4 sleep stages
- Light sleep (can be awoken)
- Start of real sleep
- Start of deep sleep
- Deep sleep
What happens to the body while you’re asleep
HR, breathing slows
BP/Brain activity decreases
NREM
Define REM
Rapid-eye movement/active sleep
Muscles paralyzed
Fast HR
Increased brain activity
Vivid dreams
What are the functions of REM
Maturing infant brains
Processing info, learning, memory consolidation
Helps form new synapses in brain
What are the functions of NREM
Growth
Repair, restore body
More cells
What are the effects of sleep deprivation
Fatigue
Impaired concentration, creativity, communication
Obesity
Surpressed immune system
Slowed performance
What is increased when sleepy during the day
Cortisol (stress)
What are two treatements to sleep deprivation
Light therapy (artificial light)
Melatonin (regulates circadian ryhtms)
What influences whether you are a morning or night person
Inherited genetic circadian rhythms regulating body temp
What are the 3 types of dreams + characteristics
REM: vivid, story like, emotional, bizarre
NREM: thought- like
Lucid: awareness of dream
What are the 4 theories on dream interpretation
- Psychoanalytic
- Cognitive
- Activation-synthesis
- Entering spiritual world
Define the psychoanalytic dream theory
- Freud
- Wish fulfillement
- Expresses unconscious desires
- Dream symbols
Define the cognitive dream theory
Improves information processing
Define the activation synthesis dream theory
- Allan Hobson
- Brain making sense of random firing of cells during REM
- Prefrontal cortex toff
- Visual cortex, limbic system on
What are the 3 major sleep disorders
Insomnia
Narcolepsy
Sleep apnea
Define insomnia
Persistent problems falling/staying asleep, waking up
Define narcolepsy
Incurable sleep disorder
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Uncontrollable REM sleep attacks
Define sleep apnea
Repeated breathing stopping during sleep, forcing indiv to wake up
What are the 4 types of parasomnias (abnormal disturbances)
- Nightmares
- Night terrors
- Sleepwalking
- Sleep talking
Define nightmares
Frightening dreams occuring near end of REM
Define night terrors
Stage 3-4
Abrupt awakenings during NREM
Feelings of panic
Increased HR
Define sleepwalking
Somnambulism
Stage 3
Accompanies night terros
NREM, early in sleep
Define sleep talking
Somniloquy
Occurs in any stage, usually NREM
Define REM behaviour disorder
Muscle not paralyzing, sleeper acts out dreams, most common in males
Who is more likely to be affected by insomnia
Men
Older people
Overweight people
Snorers
Why do we dream
To understand recent experiences
