psy exam 3 chapter 5 Flashcards
What is consciousness?
It is your awareness of your internal states (thoughts, sensations, memories) and the external world around you. It’s the ability to subjectively experience and be aware of yourself and your surroundings
Main characteristics of consciousness
Subjective and private: Unique to you
Dynamic (Ever-Changing): thoughts sensations and feelings come and go, like a river
Self Reflective: its your thinking and you can think about it
Connected to selective attention: limited by what you pay attention to
EEG Machine
Electroencephalograph: a device that used electrodes placed on the scalp to measure activity in the brain. Used to study sleep stages, brain disorders, and monitor brain activity during surgery.
Circadian Rhythms
24 hour biological cycles that regulate a wide range of bud functions, including sleep, hormone release, body temp and cell regeneration
SCN
The master clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, is a tiny cluster of nerve cells in the hypothalamus. Controls your bodys clock.
Light and the SCN
The SCN recieves info about light levels from the eyes, when its dark the scn signals to the pineal gland to release melatonin.
Melatonin
A hormone that increases feelings of drowsiness and helps regulate your sleep wake cycle
Ignoring Circadian Rhythms
Consequences: disrupting your natural sleep-wake cycle can lead to;
Sleepiness and fatigue
Impaired cognitive function (concentration, memory, decision-making
Mood disturbances (irritability, increased stress)
Weakened immune system
Increased risk of accidents and errors
Long-term health problems (obesity, diabetes, heart disease)
Jet Lag
A temporary sleep disorder that occurs when your body’s internal clock is out of sync with the time zone you’re in.
East vs West Jet Lag
Its harder to adjust when traveling east (losing time) because you have to go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier. Traveling west (gaining time) is easier because its like delaying your circadian rhythm.
Sleep stages
Non-rem:
-stage 1: light sleep, easy to awake, brain waves slow down, may have muscle twitches
-stage 2: brain waves become even slower, sleep spindles(bursts of activity) appear
-stage 3 (slow wave sleep): deepest sleep, very slow delta brain waves, difficult to awaken, important for physical restoration and growth.
REM (Rapid Eye Movement):
-Brain activity increases
-Heart rate and breathing become faster, muscles become paralyzed
-Vivid dreams typically occur during REM sleep
Age difference in sleep
-Infants and children need the most sleep
-Adolescents prefer to stay up late and sleep in
-Adults generally need less sleep but experience more fragmented sleep and less deep sleep
Cultural differences in sleep and dreams
Sleep practices: some cultures nap, some cultures have parents and children sleeping in the same bed, sleep schedules also vary
Dream Interpretation: different cultures have unique beliefs about the significance and meaning of dreams.
Effects of sleep deprivation
Cognitive impairment (Reduced attention span, poor memory and learning)
Emotional effects (irritability, mood swings, stress, anxiety)
Physical effects (Weak immune system, increased risk of obesity diabetes and heart disease. Impaired motor coordination and microsleeps)
REM Rebound
If you are deprived of REM sleep your body will try to catch up by spending more time in REM sleep the next time you sleep
Slow-wave-rebound:
If you are deprived of slow-wave sleep, your body will prioritize this stage during subsequent sleep periods
Purpose of REM Sleep
Memory consolidation, learning, brain development(especially in kids)
Purpose of slow-wave sleep
-Physical restoration (repair muscle tissue)
-hormone regulation (growth hormone is primarily released during slow wave sleep)
-energy conservation (metabolic rate and body temp decrease)
Five sleep disorders
Insomnia: difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting restful sleep
Narcolepsy: daytime sleepiness, cataplexy(loss of muscle control), sleep paralysis, and hallucinations
Sleep apnea: breathing pauses during sleep, causes snoring
Night terrors: episodes of intense fear and screaming during sleep, often in children
Sleepwalking: walking or doing other things while asleep
Problems with sleep pills
Can lead to dependence, have side effects (drowsiness, dizziness), may disrupt normal sleep patterns and stages
Freuds Wish-Fulfillment theory of dreaming
Dreams represent desires, wishes, and anxieties that are unacceptable to the conscious mind
Manifest content: actual images and events in the dream
Latent content: the hidden meaning of the dream
Activation-synthesis theory of dreaming
Dreams are the brains attempt to make sense of random neural activity.
The brain tries to create stories from these random signals, leading to illogical nature of dreams.
Cognitive problem-solving theory of dreaming
Dreams reflect our waking concerns and help us process emotions, solve problems, and consolidate memories
Dreams provide a space for mental simulation and rehearsal, allowing us to work through challenges and explore different perspectives
Hypnosis
A state of focused attention and increased suggestibility. May experience changes in perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Effects of hypnosis
Sensory changes (hallucinations, altered pain)
Cognitive changes (Enhanced memory, increased suggestibility)
Behavioral changes (performing actions involuntarily)
Post-hypnotic suggestions (carrying out suggestions after the hypnotic state has ended)
Social influence theory of hypnosis
Hypnosis is a form of a social influence, where individuals are highly motivated to comply with the hypnotist
Suggests that hypnotic phenomena are not unique and can be explained by normal psychological processes
Divided consciousness theory of hypnosis
Hypnosis involves a splitting of consciousness into two or more simultaneous streams of awareness
One stream responds to the hypnotist, while another stream remains aware of what’s happening (the hidden observer)
Forensic use of hypnosis
Hypnosis can be used to help witnesses recall memories, reliability is controversial because of issues with false memories and suggestibility
(Psychoactive drugs) Depressants
Reduce neural activity and slow us down
Ex: alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates
(Psychoactive drugs) Stimulants
Increase neural activity and speed us up
Ex: caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines
(Psychoactive drugs) Hallucinogens
Distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
Ex: LSD, mushrooms, peyote
(Psychoactive drugs) Opioids
Pain-relieving and produce feelings of euphoria)
Ex: heroin, morphine, oxycodone
The “Reward Pathway”
A neural pathway in the brain associated with pleasure and reinforcement.
Key Neurotransmitter: Dopamine
How the “Reward Pathway” works
When you engage in rewarding activities, dopamine is released in the pathway, strengthening the behavior and making you more likely to repeat it.
Addiction: drugs can hijack it flooding it with dopamine leading to addiction
Physical Dependence
The body adapts to the drug, leading to withdrawal symptoms when drug use is stopped.
Psychological Dependence
A strong craving for the drugs effects, often driven by its ability to relieve negative emotions or provide pleasure
Tolerance
When you build up a resistance to a drugs effects, requiring more of it to achieve the same high. Happens after repeated use. Can lead to overdoses.
Labels do not explain
Simply labeling a behavior doesn’t provide a true explanation of it
Ex: calling someone depressed doesn’t explain the underlying causes of their depression
Power of definitions
Definitions can shape our understanding and interpretation of phenomena. How we describe concepts like mental illness influences how we think about and treat them.
Circular reasoning
A logical fallacy where the conclusion is already assumed in the premise
Ex: “Hes tired because he’s sleepy” is circular because tiredness and sleepiness are basically the same thing.
