psych chapter 4 Flashcards
consciousness
describes our awareness of internal and external stimuli
sleep
is a state marked by relatively low level of physical activity & reduced sensory awareness that is distinct from periods of rest that occur during wakefulness
wakefulness
characterized by high levels of sensory awareness, thought and behavior
biological rhythms
internal rhythms of biological activity
circadian rhythm
biological rhythm that takes place over about 24 hours
homeostasis
the tendency to maintain a balance, or optimal level, within a biological system
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
area of the hypothalamus in which the body biological clock is located
melatonin
hormone secreted by the endocrine gland that serves as an important regulator of the sleep-wake cycle
pineal gland
an endocrine structure located inside the brain that releases melatonin (stimulated by darkness & inhibited by light)
sleep regulation
the brain’s control of switching between sleep & wakefulness as well as coordinating this cycle with the outside world
jet lag
collection of symptoms that results from the mismatch between our internal circadian cycles & our environment
insomnia
a consistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep for at least three nights a week over a month’s time
rotating shift work
a work schedule that changes from early to late on a daily or weekly basis
sleep debt
does not get sufficient sleep on a chronic basis
meta-analysis
a study that combines the results of many related studies
sleep rebound
that fact that a sleep-deprived individual will fall asleep more quickly during subsequent opportunities for sleep
evolutionary psychology
a discipline that studies how universal patterns of behavior & cognitive processes have evolved over time as a result of natural selection
beta waves
dominated activity while awake, highest frequency & lowest amplitude shows more variability
frequency
how many brain waves occur per second (Hz)
amplitude
height of the brain wave
Rapid eye movement (REM)
characterized by darting movements of the eye under closed eyelids (similar to brain waves during wakefulness)
non-REM (NREM)
sleep is subdivided into 3 distinguished stages from each other & from wakefulness by characteristic patterns of brain waves
stage 1 sleep
a transitional phase that occurs between wakefulness & sleep
alpha waves
early portion of stage 1 sleep, low frequency & high amplitude
theta waves
even lower frequency & higher amplitude
stage 2 sleep
the body goes into a state of deep relaxation
sleep spindles
rapid burst of higher frequency brain waves that may be important for learning & memory
K-complex
very high amplitude pattern of brain activity that may in some cases occur in response to environmental stimuli
NREM stage 3 sleep
deep sleep, characterized by low frequency & high amplitude delta waves
delta waves
lowest frequency & highest amplitude of our sleeping brain waves
manifest content
actual content, storyline of a dream
latent content
the hidden meaning of a dream
Carl Jung
Swiss psychiatrist, believed that dreams allowed us to tap into the collective unconscious.
collective unconscious
theoretical repositing of information he believed to be shared by everyone
Rosalind Cartwright
Dreams simply reflect life events that are important to the dreamer.
Alan Hobson
Credited for developing activism-synthesis theory of dreaming.
lucid dreaming
dreams in which certain aspects of wakefulness are maintained during a dream state
insomnia
consistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep
cognitive behavioral therapy
psychotherapy that focuses on cognitive processes, and problem behaviors
parasomnia
one group of sleep disorders in which unwanted, disruptive motor activity and experiences during sleep play a role
sleepwalking
somnambulism, sleep engages in relatively complex behaviors ranging from wandering about to driving a car
RBD (REM sleep behavior disorder)
occurs when the muscle paralysis associated with REM sleep phase does not occur
restless leg syndrome
uncomfortable sensations in the legs during periods of inactivity or when trying to fall asleep
night terrors
result in a sense of panic in the sufferer & are often accompanied by screams and attempts to escape from the immediate environment
sleep apnea
defined by episodes during which a sleeper’s breathing stops
obstructive sleep apnea
when an individual’s airway is blocked during sleep
central sleep apnea
disruption in signals sent from the brain that regulate breathing cause periods of interrupted breathing
continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
mask that fits over the nose & mouth, connected to a pump that forces air into the airway
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
an infant stops breathing during sleep & dies
narcolepsy
cannot resit falling asleep at inappropriate times
cataplexy
lack of muscle tone/weakness
physical dependence
involves changes in normal bodily functions - the user will experience withdrawal from the drug upon cessation of the use
psychological dependence
has an emotional, rather than physical, need for the drug & may use the drug to relieve psychological distress
tolerance
linked to physiological dependence, and it occurs when a person requires more and more drug to achieve effects previously experienced at lower rates
withdrawal
includes a variety of negative symptoms experienced when drug use is discontinued
depressant
a drug that tends to suppress central nervous system activity
stimulants
drugs that tend to increase overall levels of neural activity
methamphetamine
a type of amphetamine that can be made from ingredients that are readily available
euphoric high
feelings of intense elation & pleasure, especially in those users who take the drug via intravenous injection of smoking
Kromann & Nielson
2012, case study on a woman who suffered significant ill effects from her use of caffeine
opioids
a category of drugs that includes heroin, morphine, methadone, codeine
opiates
derivatives of opium, which is a naturally occurring compound found in the poppy plant
methadone
a synthetic opioid that is less euphorigenic than heroin & similar drugs
methadone clinics
help people who previously struggled with opioid addiction manage withdrawal symptoms through the use of methadone
codeine
opioid with relatively low potency
hallucinogen
one of a class of drugs that results in profound alterations in sensory & perceptual experiences
hypnosis
a state of extreme self-focus & attention in which minimal attention is given to external stimuli
meditation
the act of focusing on a single target to increase awareness of the moment
