Lecture 5

Question 1

consciousness

Answer 1

The awareness of internal and external stimuli

Question 2

Various kinds of awareness

Answer 2

External events
Internal sensations
Of oneself as unique to experiences
Of thoughts about experiences

Question 3

conscious content includes

Answer 3

Current concerns, daydreams and unwanted thoughts

Question 4

Property of Consciousness

Answer 4

Intentionality: being directed toward an object (I want to focus on this)
Unity: resistance to division (we tend to see things as a whole)
Selectivity: the cocktail party phenomenon (we are drawn to some things more than others, they grab our attention)
Transcience: the tendency to change (it is always changing)

Question 5

Subliminal Perception

Answer 5

can we be “unaware” of things and have them still have an impact?

James Vicary and “Drink Coke and Eat Popcorn”

Krosnick study: subliminal messages may shape attitudes without conscious awareness

Question 6

Freud and Consciousness

Answer 6

Three Levels of Consciousness
Conscious: mental events we are aware of
Preconscious: mental events that can be brought to our awareness
Unconscious: mental events inaccessible to our awareness

Question 7

Circadian Cycles

Answer 7

Individuals have different internal clocks
Most run on a 24 hour cycle
Almost all are set for sleep at night
Night time sleepiness: 2am-6am peak

Question 8

Siesta Zone

Answer 8

1-4pm (people rested during the hottest time, even here people take naps after lunch)
Programmed for naps

Question 9

Functions of Sleep

Answer 9

1. memory consolidation
2. energy conservation
3. helps restore bodily functions

Question 10

Sleep Deprivation

Answer 10

decrease immune functions 
leads to hallucinations and perceptual disorders
less alert and attentive
more irritable
ability to perform simple tasks declines

Question 11

Stage 1 sleep

Answer 11

light sleep, small irregular brain waves, muscles relax

Question 12

Stage 2 sleep

Answer 12

high peaking waves, sleep spindles, burst of electrical activity

Question 13

Stage 3 sleep

Answer 13

Deep sleep, Delta waves, slow with high peaks

Question 14

Stage 4 sleep

Answer 14

Progressively more Delta Waves (Deep Sleep)

Question 15

Sleep Cycle

Answer 15

1,2,3,4,3,2 then REM sleep

Question 16

REM sleep

Answer 16

Rapid Eye Movement Sleep: active brainwaves, increased heart rate and blood pressure, limp muscle state

80% of REM is dream sleep

Alternates on 90 minute cycles

Question 17

Developmental Issues with Sleep

Answer 17

Newborns and Infants: 50% of sleep is REM
By age 3-5 it is more like 20% of overall sleep which is more similar to the adult level
Infants appear to be hardwired for more REM sleep

Question 18

Sleep Apnea

Answer 18

a “lack of breath” while sleeping; disrupts sleep patterns
3 types identified but Obstructive Apnea is the most common and severe
The muscles at the back of the throat relax obstructing the airway, breathing can actually stop causing awakenings
Related to age and obesity, more common in men

Question 19

Narcolepsy

Answer 19

falling asleep suddenly or “sleep attacks” which can occur at any time, and last a few seconds or 30 minutes
Symptoms appear between puberty and 25
Cataplexy or sudden loss of muscle control is characteristic
May experience sleep paralysis
May be accompanied by vivid dream like images

Question 20

Insomnia

Answer 20

over half of American’s report it at some time in their lives
There are different types of insomnia
Transient Insomnia: lasts only a few nights, often due to anxiety or excitement
Short-term Insomnia: poor sleeping for 2-3 weeks caused by ongoing stressors as well as medical problems
Chronic Insomnia: underlying medical or behavioral issues, does have a genetic component likely as it runs in families

Question 21

Ways to combat insomnia

Answer 21

Exercise during the day
Don’t use your bed for anything besides sleep
Don’t drink caffeinated products before bed (tea, coffee, hot chocolate, diet coke…)
If you can’t sleep, get up and then come back later and try again

Question 22

Sleepwalking

Answer 22

causes people, usually children to take nocturnal trips they don’t remember
Temporary sleep mechanism malfunctions during the deeper stages of sleep.
Usually in 3rd or 4th sleep stage
Can run in families
Often abates by puberty
Treatment involves safety measures
Can you wake up a sleepwalker safely? Yes

Question 23

Sleep talking

Answer 23

Can range from one word to a soliloquy
No memory of the conversation
Usually short term
Sometimes because of stress or illness

Question 24

Sleep terror

Answer 24

Sudden awakening with physical behavior associated with intense fear
Screaming, fighting, trying to escape appear
Episodes last about 15 minutes
Person returns to sleep, unable to recall in the morning
More common in childhood
Parental reassurance is only treatment

Question 25

REM Movement Disorder

Answer 25

Usually in sleep the paralysis which normally occurs does not function and a person actually acts out his dream
Most common in older men and may result in violent behavior
Unlike those who experience sleep terrors, these people may remember their vivid dreams
Treated with medication

Question 26

Activation-synthesis model of dreams

Answer 26

dreams are produced as people try to make sense of the random neural activity that occurs during sleep

Question 27

Altered Levels of Consciousness

Answer 27

Hypnosis:  systematic procedure that typically produces a heightened sense of susceptibility
Various factors involved in hypnosis
Anesthesia
Sensory Distortions
Disinhibition
Post-hypnotic amnesia