Exam 4 Flashcards
consciousness
awareness, sensations, thoughts, and feelings at any given moment (on a continuum)
selective attention
focusing on one specific thing while ignoring others by choice
inattentional blindness
not noticing the existence of something because you are focused on something else
change blindness
not noticing the change of something in the environment because you are focused on something else
circadian rhythm
biological clock that determines when you feel most alert vs sleep (different for everyone)
part of the brain circadian rhythm is controlled by
hypothalamus and pineal gland
function of melatonin
makes us feel sleepy
how melatonin is triggered/suppressed
light hits cones and rods in eyes triggers suprachiasmatic nucleus triggers pineal gland triggers suppression of melatonin (so you are less sleepy in the light)
order of brainwaves as seen on eeg from most active (rapid short waves) to deep sleep (long waves)
beta, alpha, theta, delta
brainwaves associated with each sleep stage
NREM 1 - beta (attentive awake) turn to alpha (inattentive awake)
NREM 2 - theta (also sleep spindles)
NREM 3 - delta (all neurons fire synchronously)
REM - similar to beta
stage NREM 1
5-10 minutes - easily woken, very light sleep
hypnogogic state
hypnic jerks and flashes of color that may occur as you are falling asleep (NREM 1)
stage NREM 2
20 minutes - brain registers noise but doesn’t wake, still light sleep but harder to wake than NREM 1
sleep spindles
short bursts of brain activity (NREM 2)
stage NREM 3
30 minutes - very deep sleep and groggy if woken
stage REM (rapid eye movement)
25% total sleep time but amount in each cycle varies - “paradoxical sleep” with lots of brain activity and vivid dreams but body paralyzed and won’t remember unless woken up, elevated breathing and HR
sleep cycle length
90 minutes - 4-6 cycles each night
4 theories of why we sleep
sleep is restorative, sleep is protective, sleep rebuilds memories, and sleep supports growth
sleep is restorative theory
chance to recharge and repair damaged tissues (evidence: animals that burn more calories need more sleep)
sleep is protective theory
we are more vulnerable at night so have evolved to be hidden and asleep during that time
sleep rebuilds memories theory
neural connections we don’t use a pruned and memories are consolidated (evidence: memory improves after sleep)
sleep supports growth theory
pituitary gland releases growth hormone during sleep (evidence: kids need more sleep than adults)
insomnia
recurring inability to fall asleep or stay asleep most nights per week for 3-4 weeks caused by stress, drugs, health, depression, or random
solutions - no sleeping pills, rigid sleep schedule, no naps, frequent exercise, reduced screen time
narcolepsy
sudden sleep attacks with no known cause
solutions - frequent naps, simulants
nightmares
very vivid anxiety-provoking dreams during REM sleep (most common in kids)
sleep apnea
breathing stops when asleep disrupting/preventing deep sleep
night terrors
very extreme nightmares causing people to sit up and scream during NREM 3 sleep (most common in kids)
sleepwalking/sleeptalking
doing daily activities while asleep, more prone to accidents so should be woken up
4 theories of why we dream
wish fulfillment (Freud), activation synthesis (Hobsen), memory processing, neurological/physiological function
dreaming is for wish fullfillment theory
manifest (literal) content in our dreams has hidden symbols and meanings about latent content (our wishes)
evidence: PET scans show activity in limbic system during REM sleep
dreaming is activation synthesis
completely random brain activity that we try to make sense of by making connections and storylines
evidence: frontal lobe is inactive during REM sleep
dreaming processes memories theory
memories become consolidated and dreams often relate to real life
evidence: brain regions active while learning are active during REM sleep
dreaming is for neurological/physiological function
neural pathways are expanded and conserves when fired during REM sleep and REM sleep improves growth and development
evidence: kids need more sleep and we perform better on tests if sleep first
common themes of dreams
64% about sadness, failure, apprehension, or anxiety
18% about happiness
lucid dreaming
you are aware you are asleep and able to control your dream
psychoactive drugs
chemicals that change your perception of something
psychological drug dependence
you think you need this drug to function even when you really don’t
physical drug addiction
physiological state in which a person strongly craves the drug and will have withdrawal symptoms without it (usually the opposite of what the drug does)
tolerance
a person needs more of the drug to feel the effects
3 types of depressants
alcohol, barbiturates, opioids
alcohol expectancy effects
if people think they are drinking, they’ll act how they expect they should
alcohol cultural effects
in the US people act more violent with alcohol while in Europe people act more calm
effects of alcohol
lowers inhibitions, slows brain activity, impairs judgment, impairs memory, alters self-awareness
what are barbiturates
extremely strong tranquillizers used for sedation, used to be used as sleeping pills (highly addictive)
effects of barbiturates
relaxation, euphoria, deep sleep, seizures/overdoses common (used to commit suicide)
effects of opioids
agonists for endorphins so brain stops producing endorphins, induce sleep, relieve pain (highly addictive)
2 types of stimulants
amphetamines, cocaine
effects of amphetamines
increases dopamine
small/prescribed doses (for ADHD) - increases memory, attention, and alertness
large doses - increases anxiety, insomnia, amphetamine psychosis, heart problems, weight loss
effects of cocaine
rapid mood increase (binds to receptors to prevent reuptake of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine), heart problems, anxiety, insomnia
effects of hallucinogens (general)
(psychedelic drugs) alter perceptions of reality
4 types of hallucinogens
ecstasy (MDMA), LSD, ketamine, marujauna
effects of ecstasy
mix of a hallucinogen and stimulant - increases release and locks reuptake of serotonin, euphoria, hallucinations, feelings of connectedness, regretted behaviors, jaw spasms, high BP, overheating, depression, sleep problems, immune system problems
effects of LSD
euphoria, major hallucinations, hallucination flashbacks (not addictive)
effects of ketamine
near-death out-of-body experiences, memory distortion, small amounts may be used to treat mood disorders
effects of marujauna
mis of hallucinogen and depressent - visual hallucinations, time distortion, relaxation, perceptual distortion, impaired motor coordination, impaired perception ability, slowed reaction time, brain shrinks to disrupt memory and emotional function, increased risk for psychological disorders (unsure whether addictive or not)
hypnosis
indiced state of altered conscioussness altering thoughts, feelings, and actions; highly suggestible
2 stages of hypnosis
induction - progressive relaxation
suggestion
qualities of someone highly susceptable to hypnosis
opne to new experience, good attention, imaginative, tendency to fantasize, able to process info quickly, positive attitudes, willingness
changes displayed during hypnosis
reduced planning, redistributed attention, enhanced ability to fantasize, increased role-taking, decreased reality testing
application of hypnosis
pain relife (NOT memory recovery)
2 theories to explain hypnosis
divided consciousness and social influence
hypnosis divided consciousness theory
caused by a split in awareness (like driving without processing it)
hypnosis social influence theory
subject is so caught up by the hypnotized role they ignore other stimuli
