SAC 1 Flashcards
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Define: consciousness, normal waking consciousness and altered state of consciousness
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Consciousness
Our awareness of your own thoughts, feelings and perceptions (internal events and our surroundings (external stimuli) at any given moment.
Normal Waking Consciousness (NWC)
The states of consciousness we experience when we are awake and aware of our thoughts, feelings, and perceptions from internal events and the surrounding environment. During normal waking consciousness, we experience a real sense of time and place. Our experience during normal waking consciousness creates our reality and a baseline to judge all other states of consciousness.
Altered State of Consciousness (AWC)
Any state of consciousness that deviates from normal walking consciousness, in terms of marked differences in level of awareness, perception, memories, thinking, emotions, behaviours and one’s sense of time, place and self-control. It can deliberately induced or occur naturally. (In a coma, anethisised, meditation etc)
Ensure you study table 2.2 comparative table.
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Explain the differences between divided and selective attention.
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Selective attention: Refers to the limitations placed on how much we can focus on at any given moment. It is usually difficult to attend to more than one event at the same time, especially if this requires a great deal of mental effort.
(THINKING ABOUT DRIVING AND ONLY DRIVING)
Divided attention: Refers to our capacity to perform two or more activities at the same time. This is generally only possible if the tasks can be performed with very little mental effort.
(TEXTING WHILST TALKING TO SOMEONE)
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Explain the difference between automatic and controlled processes.
Automatic processes
Processes that require very little awareness or mental effort to be performed well and generally don’t interfere with other automatic or controlled processes.
EG: A 30 yr old texting
Controlled processes
Processes that require mental effort to focus attention on the required task. You are unable to complete another controlled process at the same time as they both require your full attention and therefore will interfere with each other.
EG: Learning to drive for a learner
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Briefly explain each stage of sleep, including REM sleep (including dreaming) and a description of the associated brainwaves, including sawtooth waves, k complexes, sleep spindles and physiological changes.
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Stage
NREM 1
Duration and Explanation
We are in the transition from being awake to being asleep. It is a brief state lasting 5 mins (can range from 30 seconds - 10 mins). It is a very light sleep which we can easily awake.
Brainwaves
Alpha waves (high frequency and low amplitude) begin to be replaced by theta waves (medium frequency and mixed amplitude).
Physiological Changes
Eyes roll
Muscles relax
Heart and Breathing decreases
Stage
NREM2
Duration and Explanation
True sleep begins, we spend about 20 mins and is fairly easy to be woken up from. This accounts for 50 % of our sleep.
Brain waves
Sleep spindles (short bursts of rapid brainwave activity)
K-complexes (single sudden high amplitude waves)
This occurs along with Theta waves (medium frequency and mixed amplitude).
Physiological Changes
Eyes stop rolling
Muscles become further relaxed
Breathing and Heart rate continues to decrease
Stage
NREM 3
Duration and Explanation
This is a brief transitional stage that marks the start of deep sleep, we are less responsive and more difficult to waken, we feel very groggy and disorientated. We spend roughly 5 mins in this stage. People can experience sleepwalking, night terrors and bedwetting.
Brain waves
Delta waves (low frequency and high amplitude) replace the theta, sleep spindles and k-complexes.
Physiological Changes
Eyes do not move
Muscles are relaxed
Heart rate and Breathing continues to become slower and more regular
Stage
NREM 4
Duration and Explanation
This is the deepest stage of sleep, it is extremely difficult to wake someone. We spend usually 30 mins in this stage. People can experience sleepwalking, night terrors and bedwetting.
Brainwaves
Delta waves (low frequency and high amplitude)
Physiological Changes
No eye movement
Little if any muscle activity
Heart and breathing at their slowest and most regular
Stage
REM
Duration and Explanation
In this stage people experience nightmares and it is more common to sleep talk. People also generally dream more and remember their dreams. It is a period of sleep where our eyes move rapidly for a short period of time. It is a lighter stage of sleep. This stage of sleep usually lasts for 10 mins
Brain waves
Irregular (desynchronised), faster (high frequency) and smaller (low amplitude). Saw tooth waves can be found among these random, fast beta like waves.
Physiological Changes
Repetitive bursts of rapid eye movement
Heart rate, respiration and blood pressure increase and fluctuate
Body temperature tends to match the surrounding environment
Genitals aroused
No muscle tension, they are relaxed to the point of being almost paralysed.
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Explain the adaptive (survival) and restorative theories of sleep.
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Adaptive and Evolutionary Theories
Sleep conserves energy: When an animal sleeps, its metabolism slows, thus reducing the need for food – a human’s metabolic rate during sleep is about 10 per cent less than when awake
Sleep depends on the need for food: Animals that need to graze for hours, such as cows, sleep less. They sleep less because they need to find more food to survive.
Sleep depends on an animal’s vulnerability to predators: Small animals that are very vulnerable to predators, such as mice, sleep more so that they can hide safely from carnivores that will eat them. Larger prey animals, such as deer, sleep less because they are more exposed in their environment and need to be ready to escape from predators.
Limitations
The assumption that sleep is very useful but not essential: All species sleep, despite the amount of food or danger they are in.
The assumption is that sleeping is a way to hide safely from predators: For animals that are highly preyed upon, sleeping can be dangerous. The loss of awareness during sleep makes the animal very vulnerable to predators and unlikely to be able to respond to danger.
Restore and Recover Theories<!--StartFragment-->
Sleep repairs and replenishes the body and prepares it for action the next day: Neurotransmitters produce cellular waste during the day and are eliminated when we sleep.
Sleep enhances mood: Not getting enough sleep can lead to negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours, making us cranky, irritable and unhappy.
Sleep activates growth hormone: Growth hormone is responsible for physical growth. It has been linked with sleep, especially during the early years and adolescence, and the more you sleep, the more likely you are going to grow and meet your potential growth.
Sleep increases immunity to disease: Sleep is a natural medicine as it appears to help our immune system become stronger. Immune cells that fight disease and infections are produced during sleep.
Sleep increases alertness: Sleep keeps our minds alert and assists our psychological state. When we are not getting enough sleep, we tend to be inattentive and more easily distracted.
Sleep consolidates memories: According to the consolidation theory of memory, sleep plays an important role in forming new memories.
Limitations
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The assumption that more sleep is needed to recover when we are physically active: There is little evidence that we need ore sleep when we exercise.
The assumption that the body rests during sleep: The brain is active during sleep. Increased blood flow and energy expenditure occurs during REM sleep and this slows down the synthesis of proteins, assisting the body in getting ready for the next day.
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Define:
Paradoxical sleep
Cataplexy
Hypnogogic jerks:
Hypnogogic state
Micro sleeps
Sleep Deprivation
EEG
EOG
EMG
ECG
GSR
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Paradoxical sleep
When the body appears calm on the exterior (virtually no muscle activity) but other bodily systems and the brain are highly active, having many features that are similar to being awake.
Cataplexy
Total relaxation of muscles to the point of paralysis when in REM sleep.
Hypnogogic jerks:
Involuntary muscle twitches that cause us to jolt are common, usually experienced in Stage 1 NREM sleep.
Hypnogogic state
A relaxed state that occurs during the transition from being awake to being asleep, often considered to be part of stage 1 sleep.
Micro sleeps
A brief involuntary period of sleep that occurs in the midst of a wakeful activity - we tend to drift off and stop concentrating on what we are doing.
Sleep Deprivation
Not getting the amount of sleep needed, may involve partial or total loss of sleep.
EEG
A device that detects, amplifies and records electrical activity in the brain in the form or brainwaves.
EOG
A device that detects, amplifies and records electrical activity in the muscles in the brain.
EMG
A device that detects, amplifies and records electrical activity of muscles.
ECG
A device measures the number of times the heart beats per minute.
GSR
A device that measures the electrical conductivity of the skin. (as the skin becomes more moist the electrical conductivity increases)
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Describe the sleep cycle for an adult.
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On average, we go through one cycle of NREM and REM every 90 minutes.
Most adults typically experience 4–6 NREM/REM cycles per night.
The amount of time spent in REM sleep increases and NREM sleep decreases as the night progresses.
This means that we typically spend more time in REM sleep in the cycle just before we wake in the morning compared with cycles earlier in the night.
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What are sleep labs and video monitoring? Include the limitations and advantages.
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Sleep Laboratory’s: A place used for scientific research on sleep that usually resembles a bedroom.
Advantages:
- Research is conducted in a controlled environment
- A number of research methods can be employed at once
- The equipment is difficult is not impossible to transport outside the laboratory
- Sleep researchers can comfortably work in their workplace with all their resources without having to intrude into participants homes.
Limitations:
- Artificial Environment which may disrupt normal sleep patterns.
- Sleeping participants maybe be continually woken up and this may affect normal sleep patterns.
- Being monitored and wired up can be frightening or invasive experience for some people.
Video Monitoring: Using cameras that operate silently to allow footage to be seen and taped in the dark without disturbing the sleeping participant.
Advantages:
- Insight into observational behaviour during sleep
- Can be undertaken in sleep laboratory or in a normal bed
- Researchers can continuously monitor the behaviour either at the time of collection or at a later stage or both
Limitations:
- Data can be recorded alongside the physiological measurements at the time
- Data can be open to interpretation so requires clean definitions for a specific behaviour.
- May miss important events if only considering still photographs.
- Participants behaviour may be blocked by the view of the camera.
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How does a baby’s sleep differ to adults and the elderly?
Neonates spend half of their sleep in REM our of the total of 16 hours sleeping.
Adults sleep for about 8 hours with about a quarter of this sleep in REM.
Elderly spend very little time in REM and stage four, they get 6 hours of sleep.
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What are the physiological and psychological (behavioural, cognitive and emotional) effects of sleep deprivation?
Psychological Effects:
Cognitive difficulties
- Difficulties paying attention and concentrating
- Difficulties processing information
- Difficulties thinking and reasoning, poor decision making
- Memory problems
- Impaired creativity
- Distorted perceptions
Affective (feeling) disturbances
- Mood disturbances - high emotionally, confusion, irritable, sadness
- Enjoyed tasks seem boring
- Lack of motivation
- Feelings of fatigue
Behavioural difficulties
- Slowed performance
- Clumsiness, injuries
- Risk-taking behaviours
- Problems performing tasks, especially simple tasks and ones requiring sustained attention or concentration
Physiological Effects:
- Slower physical reflexes
- Hand tremors
- Droopy eyelids
- Difficulty in focusing eyes
- A heightened sensitivity to pain
- Headaches
- Lower energy levels
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Define total and partial sleep deprivation and explain a person’s performance on simple and complex tasks.
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Simple tasks are harder to perform however more complex tasks aren’t affected as much.
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Total Sleep Deprivation
Going without sleep for a total 24 hour period.
Partial Sleep Deprivation
Getting some sleep in 24 hours but not the amount you need.
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Explain William James’ theory on consciousness:
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‘The stream of consciousness ’ and viewed consciousness as an ever-changing stream of thoughts that can shift smoothly and effortlessly from one moment to the next.
According to James, our conscious experience:
- *Continuous:** It is never empty; thoughts are not isolated and can flow easily from one topic to another without interruption
- *Ever-changing:** It rarely travels along one line of thought and constantly changes as we become aware of new information
- *Highly personal experience:** It relies on our own thoughts, feelings and perceptions
- *Selective:** We can usually choose to focus on some things and ignore others; we can focus on internal events (thoughts, feelings and perceptions) and/or external surroundings
- *Active:** Consciousness has a purpose to allow us to function in our world.
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What has current research discovered about sleep in adolescents? What may be a biological cause of this?
Teenagers sleep/wake pattern shifts towards the evening and in addition teens need slightly more sleep to function at their best. This suggests that the shift in sleep patterns is biological and a normal part of life.
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What are some health issues caused by chronic sleep deprivation?
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Depression
Diabetes
Obesity
Anxiety
Sleep disorders
