Exam 2 Flashcards
Consciousness
our subjective awareness of and responsiveness to mental processes (various internal cognitive processes, such as sleeping, dreaming, concentrating, and making decisions) and the environment
Normal waking consciousness
mental state that encompasses the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that occur when we are awake and reasonably alert
Altered state of consciousness
mental state that differ noticeably from normal waking consciousness
Ex-sleep/dreams, effects of some drugs, meditation, hypnosis
Changes experienced in altered state of consciousness
perceptual/attentional processes
memory
high-level thought processes
emotions/self-control
Death by alcohol: Sam Spady story
NEVER leave an intoxicated person alone
STAY SOBER to take care of your friends
Legal drinking age is 21
Call 911 if a person has any of the following symptoms
unconscious or semiconscious
breathing less than 8 times per minute or irregular (10 seconds or more between breaths)
cold, clammy, pale, or blush skin
can’t be awakened by pinching, prodding, or shouting
vomiting without waking up
What point was made by the findings using the eye tracker? (invisible gorilla)
people used an eye tracker and they found that people with the eye tracker looked at the gorilla for at least a second and still didn’t notice it; looking is different than seeing
Are there “noticers” and “missers” among us, and to what do these terms refer?
No; it is a matter of a flip of a coin. We know when we notice something but we aren’t aware of the times when we’ve missed something unexpected.
What point was made by the discussion of focusing attention?
We need to be able to filter out the distractions of our world and not let them interfere with the task we are trying to do. The key is when you’re focusing your attention on one aspect of your world, you don’t have an unlimited amount of attention to devote to other things. We only see the things we focus our attention on. We might filter something we might want to notice
selective/directed attention
Dichotic (divided into 2) listening task: procedure, results, and conclusion
“ba” in attended channel
“ta” in unattended channel
Attention can be too narrow/focused or too wide. Needs to be appropriate for the task at hand
Disorders of attention (ex. ADD, ADHD)
ADD- it is like watching a Tv show when someone else has control of the remote and keeps channel surfing while you are trying to follow the plot of the show
Problems with multitasking
can decrease performance, increased errors, sometimes resulting in injuries and even death
Biological rhythms
self-sustained cyclic changes in biological processes
Chronobiology
the branch of biology that scientifically studies biological rhythms and their systems
Circadian rhythm
our adaptation to the 24-hr solar cycle of light and dark; sleep and wakefulness
What controls the circadian rhythm
the human biological clock is the scn
suprachiasmatic nucleus (in the hypothalamus); approx. 15,000 cells
epinephrine
light->alertness
melatonin
darkness->sleepiness
Free running
without day/night cues, body clock typically runs on a slightly different than 24 hr cycle. But the body clock still runs- it is internal
The circadian rhythms role in jet lag and sleep problems
responsible for jet lag and problems associated with working nights and a rotating shift schedule
Chronotherapy
using light and other environment, natural non-drug techniques to reset the circadian clock and treat problems of sleep, jet lag, and depression including seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Aserinsky
discovered REM sleep
Developmental changes in amount of REM sleep
Infants spend a greater proportion of their sleep in REM sleep
Total sleep time decreases as the person ages
Experience less stage 3 NREM “restorative” sleep as age
Brain wave activity
The first stage of REM sleep closely resembles stage 1 of NREM sleep.
Stages 3 and 4 are now combined into just stage 3
Frequency and amplitude
Early sleep- move REM sleep and stages 3 and 4
Later sleep- less stages 3 and 4, Less REM sleep
REM sleep
Rapid Eye Movement
also called paradoxical sleep
muscle relaxation/paralysis
higher heart rate and blood pressure
deep stages of sleep in which the body is essentially paralyzed although the brain appears to be awake
REM rebound
when deprived of REM sleep , next night enter REM sleep earlier and get more of it after being deprived of it
Purpose of sleep
Body restoration- brain tissue is repaired during sleep; sleep boosts immune system
Growth- pituitary gland releases growth hormone during sleep
Mental function- role in problem solving, learning/memory (memory consolidation, creativity, attention, flexibility)
Adaptive function- preservation and protection, maximize energy gain
Insomnia
inability to fall or remain asleep. Avoid “quick fixes” such as sleeping pills, alcohol; make sleep routine/environment changes-need good sleep hygiene
Narcolepsy
Periodic, uncontrollable sleep attacks. Relative absence of hypothalamic neural center that produces hypocretin, an alerting neurotransmitter
Sleep apnea
breathing difficulties/cessation-> poor quality sleep->feeling exhausted during the day. Also linked to high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease
Sleep talking/walking
Not considered disorders when in children
occurs in NREM sleep
Sleep or night terrors
occur in children during NREM stage 4
extreme nightmares
frightening/terrifying dreams during NREM, NOT considered a disorder when in children
Is there a hand-held ban?
no
For which drivers is texting banned?
Texting is banned for ALL drivers
Nightmares vs. Sleep terrors
Nightmares- tend to happen in the later part of a night’s sleep, often in the very early morning hours. Children wake up from a nightmare feeling scared or upset and respond to comfort from a parent. They may be reluctant to go back to sleep, and need you to help them feel safe. They can usually remember part of a nightmare.
Night terrors- tend to happen in the first 2 or 3 hours of sleep. Kids don’t respond to comfort or reassurance. They won’t remember having a night terror
sleep health article
“Increase public knowledge of how adequate sleep and treatment of sleep disorders improve health, productivity, wellness, quality of life, and safety on roads and in the workplace”
Adequate sleep is necessary to:
- fight off infection
- support the metabolism of sugar to prevent diabetes
- perform well in school
- work effectively and safely
Negative effects of sleep deprivation
KNOW: sleep timing and duration affect the endocrine, metabolic, and neurological functions that are critical to the maintenance of individual health. If left untreated, sleep disorders and chronic sleep are associated with an increase of: heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, all-cause mortality
Good sleep hygeine
Once you have a nightly goal based on the hours of sleep that you need, it’s time to start planning for how to make that a reality
Start by making sleep a priority in your schedule. This means budgeting for the hours you need so that work or social activities don’t trade off with sleep. While cutting sleep short may be tempting, it doesn’t pay off because sleep is essential to being at your best mentally and physically
Examples of sleep hygiene improvements
sticking to the same sleep schedule
pre-bed routine to make it easier to fall asleep
choosing a mattress that is supportive, comfortable and outfitting it with quality pillows and bedding
minimize potential disruptions from light and sound while optimizing your bedroom temperature and aroma
disconnecting from electronic devices for a half-hour or more before bed
carefully monitoring your intake of caffeine and alcohol and trying to avoid consuming them in the hours before bed
Dreams
sequences of images (primarily visual or auditory), feelings, ideas, and impressions that we experience during sleep
Lucid dreaming
dreamer is aware they are having a dream
Control dreaming
dreamer has some control over the content and course of the dream
Memory consolidation/mental housekeeping
By-product of eliminating and strengthening neural connections in the brain. Forming long-term memories-consolidation of information into long-term memory
Problem-focused
Express concerns of waking life and/or resolve current concerns/problems
Activation-synthesis
No purpose. Dreams occur because of random brain stem signals (activation) in the hindbrain structure called the pons, leading to activation in the visual processing cortex and limbic system (emotion). The brain/cortex then interprets (synthesis) this information or “neural chatter”. Frontal cortex (logic/reason) is NOT activated, often resulting in the nonsensical nature of dreams. This is a biological, NOT a psychological explanation of dreams
Vestibular system
can also be activated while dreaming, leading to dreams of floating and flying
Freudian/psychoanalytic
Express unconscious wishes, thoughts, and conflicts. For Freud “dreams are the disguised fulfillment of a repressed, infantile wish”
Which of the following refers to the memory for how to do
something/perform a physical skill (e.g., riding a bike)?
procedural
In Ebbinghaus’ studies of memory, most of what he forgot after memorizing
information was forgotten shortly after he had studied it, with forgetting slowing down later on.
True
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
Ebbinghaus studied memory using poems subjects memorized.
Which of the following statements regarding short-term memory (STM) is
FALSE?
Information can be held in STM for up to 5 minutes without rehearsal
Which of the following does NOT contribute to forgetting
too much studying/rehearsal resulting in overlearning