Consciousness Flashcards
____________ refers to the subjective awareness of percepts, thoughts, feelings and ________
- consciousness
- behaviour
The two functions performed by consciousness include __________ the self and environment and __________ thought and behaviour
- monitoring
- controlling
Focussing awareness is called _________. This provides heightened sensitivity to a limited range of experience requiring more extensive information processing
-attention
_______________ is splitting attention between two or more stimuli or tasks
-divided attention
the flow of _________ is studied through experience-sampling techniques, such as __________ studies.
- consciousness
- beeper
Consciousness can be influenced by ______ practices and beliefs. These influence subjective _________ such as experience of time and forces on internal psychological states
- cultural
- awareness
Sigmund Freud believed in 3 levels of consciousness processes: conscious, ______________ and unconscious processes
-preconscious
Conscious mental processes are are the centre of _______________. Preconscious mental processes are not presently conscious but could become so at any time. _______ are thoughts, feelings and memories that are inaccessible to consciousness because they are threatening
- subjective awareness
- unconscious processes
The ______________ unconscious refers to information processing that occurs outside of awareness
cognitive
Cognitive theorists argue that consciousness is a mechanism for solving problems that _______ processes cannot optimally solve
automatic
The hindbrain and _____________ structures, especially the reticular formation, play an important role in ___________ wakefulness and arousal
- midbrain
- regulating
Consciousness appears to be distributed across a number of neural pathways, involving a ________ running through many parts of the brain including the reticular formation, the _________, the cortex and the midbrain
- circuit
- thalamus
Our sleep-wake cycle is a _________ rhythm, and evolved around the daily cycles of light and dark
-Circadian
Most _______ occurs during REM sleep, but it does occur during deep sleep
-dreaming
Freud thought dreams had _________ content, or underlying meaning. He also believed they had a storyline, or __________ content
- latent
- manifest
To Freud, latent content showed wishes in the __________ state, but modern psychodynamic theorists believe it is wishes, fears and concerns that underlie dreams
-unconscious
Cognitive theorists believe dreams express _________ and current concerns in a distinct language
-thoughts
Biological theorists posit that dreams have no meaning, they are simply the ___________ firing of neutrons that the brain attempts to make sense of. This is the Activation-Synthesis Theory
-random
Other theorists believe that dreaming plays a role in ________ consolidation
-memory
Altered states of ___________ occur when the regular perception, thinking processes and feelings are changed
-consciousness
__________ is an altered state of consciousness that occurs when someone ____________ consciousness to a single thought, or expands it to focus on stimuli we don’t normally notice (focussed attention or open monitoring)
- meditation
- narrows
Hypnosis is characterised by deep __________ and ________. While this appears to be an altered state, it can sometimes occur under other conditions
- relaxation
- suggestibility
___________ experiences can give people a sense of oneness with nature, others and the _______. It can help to break down barriers between self and non-self
- Religious
- supernatural
____________ substances act on the ___________ system to alter patterns of perception, thought and feelings. They come in 3 categories: __________, depressants and hallucinogens
- Psychoactive
- nervous system
- stimulants
Stimulants increase _______, energy and autonomic activity e.g. caffeine
-alertness
__________ slow down the nervous system, e.g. alcohol
-depressants
Hallucinogens create hallucinations, where sensations and perceptions occur without ________ stimuli e.g. marijuana, giving a sense of being ‘high’
-external stimuli
Psychoactive substances alter physiology by facilitating or _________ neural transmission at the synapse, and psychologically through expectations shaped by cultural beliefs
-inhibiting
Three theories of sleep include the restoration model (replenish body, restore), the _________________ model (saves energy) and Brain Plasticity and Memory consolidation models (sleep allows info from day to be consolidated)
-Energy conservation model
When one is awake and also during REM sleep, Beta waves, of low ________ and high _________ are present in the brain
- voltage
- frequency
REM sleep ____________ with age
-decreases
Wakefulness and _____________ are the two major factors determining states of consciousness
-awareness
Sleep disorder affect more than ____ percent of the population
-10%
____________ is characterised by difficulty falling asleep, going back to sleep and waking too early. Generally feel like they don’t get enough sleep. More common in __________
- insomnia
- women
Insomnia can result in __________ fatigue, irritability, anxiety, impaired _______ and drowsiness
- daytime
- concentration
Sleep Apnea is often undiagnosed. _____ of the population is affected by this
-40%
During _______________, sufferers have long intervals between breathes
diagnosis occurs by using a sleep study
-sleep apnea
those who are _________ are more likely to have sleep apnea
-overweight
____________ can be a sign of sleep impairment and sleep apnea
-snoring
Narcolepsy is where sufferers can ______ asleep at any time during the day
Their transferral from wakefulness into REM sleep happens almost immediately
-fall
______________ include behaviours that occur inappropriately during sleep, like bed wetting, ________ and sleep walking/talking
- parasomnias
- night terrors
Dreams are nearly always from a __________ perspective
-first person
Freud’s _____________ theory of dreaming thought it to be for wish fulfilment and had underlying content and meaning
-psychoanalytic
___________ approaches think dreams allow for creative thinking as logic and reality cannot impair dreams
-Cognitive
Opiates and depressants are drugs which lessen _______ and give a sense of euphoria and relaxation. They’re dependence inducing and _________.
- inhibitions
- addictive
Stimulants, like ___________, and cocaine, increase dopamine, increase ______ levels and give a sense of euphoria. They’re addictive
- amphetamines
- energy
______________ like LSD and psilocybin increase sensory awareness and serotonin levels
Hallucinogens
The ‘love drug’ or _______ can damage nerve terminals and is a common dance party drug
-ectasy/MDMA
Cannabis/marijuana/hashish is a mild __________ and helps to ______ users. It heightens sensory experiences and distorts perception
- hallucinogen
- relax
Tolerance to a drug, ____________ and environmental cues influence drug use and affects
-addiction/dependence
Drugs cause three main risks including _______, tissue damage and health-impairing behaviour (indirect)
-overdose
Synergist drugs (sedatives, narcotics and alcohol) have the greatest risk of _______. CNS depressants and stimulants also carry great health ______
- overdose
- risks
