PSYCH EXAM 6 Flashcards
What are states of consciousness?
Level of awareness for our external surroundings and internal states
What are contents of consciousness
specific thoughts we are aware of about our internal states or
external surroundings
What is a stream of consciousness?
a continuing flow of changing thoughts (William James, 1890)
What are some altered States of consciousness?
*Being asleep
* Having a dream
* Hypnosis
* Meditation
* Anesthesia
* Psychoactive drugs
What is Inattention blindness
When you aren’t paying attention to something visual, you are unable to report on the details of what the visual stimuli contain
What role does reticular formation play regarding being consciously aware?
It’s role is to be awake to be able to be conscious
What role do the thalamus and hypothalamus play in being consciously aware?
Its role is to have information processed by having signals from reticular formation go to and through the thalamus and hypothalamus
What role does the cerebral cortex play in being consciously aware?
Important for the “awareness” aspect of consciousness
If reticular formation got damaged how would it impact conscious awareness
It would cause loss of consciousness
If hypothalamus got damaged how would it impact conscious awareness
It would cause disturbances of wakefulness
If Thalamus got damaged how would it impact conscious awareness
It would cause lack of conscious awareness
If cerebral cortex got damaged how would it impact conscious awareness
It would cause a lack of awareness via Weiskrantz “blindsight” studies
When does conscious awareness start to develop
Conscious awareness of self seems to develop around 18
months
When does full conscious awareness develop
Full conscious awareness develops at around 22 months
What is preconsciousness?
Level of awareness in which information can become readily available to consciousness if necessary (e.g. What did you do last weekend)
What is the role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)?
It coordinates bodily rhythms and directs the production of melatonin by the pineal gland.
Define circadian rhythm.
The biological clock regulating sleep-wake cycles, roughly corresponding to daylight and night.
What is the restoration theory of sleep?
A theory proposing that sleep restores the brain and body.
What is the adaptive theory of sleep?
A theory suggesting organisms sleep to avoid predators and enhance survival.
According to Freud, what role does the unconscious mind play?
It contains significant information and guides behavior in various ways.
What is unconscious decision-making?
Decision-making processes that occur without conscious thought, often during snap decisions.
What is implicit memory?
Knowledge that we have stored in memory that we are not typically aware of or able to recall at will
What is explicit memory?
Involves pieces of knowledge that we are fully aware of
What is an unconscious state?
A state in which information is not easily accessible to conscious awareness (e.g. What did you eat last weekend?)
What are automatic behaviours
A type of preconscious behaviour (e.g. Do you remember every step each time you brushed your teeth last week)
How does artificial light affect sleep?
It disrupts the circadian rhythm by altering dopamine and melatonin production.
What are the stages of sleep?
Stage 1: Transition to sleep with alpha and theta waves.
Stage 2: Deeper relaxation with sleep spindles.
Stage 3: Deep sleep with delta waves (20%-50%).
Stage 4: Deepest sleep; heart rate and breathing are at their lowest.
REM Sleep: Dreaming with rapid eye movements and irregular brain activity.
What is the hypnagogic state?
The pre-sleep period characterized by alpha waves, hallucinations, and myoclonic jerks.
What is REM sleep?
A sleep stage associated with dreaming, rapid brain wave patterns, increased heart rate, and irregular breathing.
What is the information processing theory of dreaming?
Dreams help process daily information, encode memories, and solve problems.
What is the activation-synthesis model of dreaming?
Dreams result from the brain’s effort to make sense of random neural activity during sleep.
What is Freudian dream theory?
Dreams represent the expression of unconscious wishes or desires, though this theory lacks strong evidence.
What are nightmares?
They are dreams filled with intense anxiety
What is Nightmare or dream disorder anxiety
They are frequent or distressing nightmares
What are lucid dreams?
Where the sleeper fully recognizes that they are
dreaming and occasionally actively guides the outcome of the
dream
What are daydreams?
They are fantasies that occur while one is awake and aware
of external reality, but is not fully conscious
What is insomnia?
Difficulty falling or staying asleep, often caused by stress or medical conditions.
What is sleep apnea?
A disorder where breathing repeatedly stops during sleep, leading to frequent awakenings.
What is narcolepsy?
Sudden, uncontrollable episodes of REM sleep during the day.
Define delayed sleep phase syndrome.
A condition causing a long delay in the ability to fall asleep.
What is restless leg syndrome?
A strong urge to move the legs before sleep.
What are night terrors?
Episodes of screaming and panic during deep sleep, usually resolving by adolescence.
What is REM sleep behavior disorder?
Acting out dreams while still asleep.
What is hypnosis?
An altered state of consciousness with heightened suggestibility, relaxation, and focus.
What is Advanced sleep phase syndrome?
When they Fall asleep between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. and wake between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.
What are Periodic limb movements of sleep
They are Strong urge to move legs during sleep
When does sleepwalking occur?
Mostly occurs during first three hours of sleep
* Eventually returns to bed
* Inherited
What is posthypnotic amnesia?
The inability to recall events that occurred during hypnosis.
What is the divided consciousness theory of hypnosis?
Hypnosis splits awareness into two parts:
-One part responds to the hypnotist’s suggestion.
-The other part continues to process pain information, but at a less conscious level.
What is the Social/Cognitive Process Theory of hypnosis?
This theory suggests that:
-The participant is highly motivated to believe in hypnosis.
-Without awareness, the participant works hard to ignore the pain.
What are psychoactive drugs?
Chemicals that affect awareness, sensation, perception, mood, or behavior.
Define tolerance in drug use.
The need to take higher doses to achieve the same effect due to regular drug use.
What are withdrawal symptoms?
Unpleasant effects from reducing or stopping drug intake after dependency.
What are depressants?
Drugs that slow central nervous system activity, such as alcohol and sedatives.
What are stimulants?
Drugs that increase central nervous system activity, such as caffeine, nicotine, and cocaine.
What are hallucinogens?
Drugs that cause sensory or perceptual distortions, including LSD and cannabis.
What is addiction?
A psychological or physical compulsion to take
a drug, resulting from regular ingestion and leading to
maladaptive patterns of behaviour and changes in physical
response
What are sedative-hypnotics (benzodiazepines)?
It produces relaxation and drowsiness; relieves anxiety
Where are opioids derived?
They are derived from the sap of the opium poppy
What does cocaine do?
Increases energy and alertness
* Produces euphoric feelings of well-being
* Negatively impacts memory, attention, and decision making ability
What does amphetamines do?
Small doses increase energy and alertness and reduce
appetite
* Large doses produces intoxication and psychosis
* Includes methamphetamine (crystal meth) and MDMA
(ecstasy), Adderall, and others
What does hallucinogens do?
Produces sensory or perceptual distortions
called hallucinations.
What are LSD’s?
Dramatically strengthens visual perceptions (including
illusions and hallucinations) along with profound
psychological and physical changes
What does Cannabis do?
Produces a mixture of hallucinogenic, depressant, and
stimulant effects
What do Psychoactive drugs activate?
A reward learning pathway, or “pleasure pathway,” in the brain.
What is the Reward-deficiency syndrome?
People might abuse drugs because usual life events do not readily activate their reward centres.
