SAC 3 Flashcards
why is consciousness considered a psychological construct
because it is personal, selective, continuous and changing, it varies from person to person. a psychological construct is a concept used to describe something that is believed to exist because we can measure its effects but not directly observe or measure it
what is a state of consciousness
our awareness of internal and external environments at any given time
normal waking consciousness
a state of consciousness characterised by clear and organised alertness of thoughts, feelings and behaviours including internal and external events. common psychological characteristics are;
moderate to high level awareness
good memory and cognitive abilities
focused attention of specific tasks
an altered state of consciousness
any state that is characteristically different from normal waking consciousness in terms of awareness, sensation or perception, can be natural or induced
natural altered states of consciousness are
involve physiological and psychological changes that occur automatically and are produced spontaneously beyond our conscious control e.g sleep, meditation, daydreaming
induced altered states of consciousness are
involves physiological and psychological changes that have been intentionally produced e.g alcohol or drugs
measurements of physiological responses indicating state of consciousness (list objective ) and other techniques for investigating consciousness
EEG - electroencephalograph EOG - electrooculograph EMG - electromyograph other techniques: speed and accuracy on cognitive tasks sleep diaries video monitoring heart rate body temp galvanic skin response (sweating)
subjective data
data collected through personal observations, interpretations, emotions and judgement e.g observing a person and saying how they feel
objective data
measurements of controlled behaviour collected under controlled conditions which allow data to be directly observed or measured e.g reading a chart of brainwaves to judge emotions
ends of the continuum of consciousness
high end = total awareness, attention is focused, selective and you are able to concentrate on specific tasks and ignore unimportant information e.g maths
low end = lack of awareness you may be unaware of thoughts feelings and sensations
amplitude and frequency of brainwaves
amplitude = the strength of the brainwave measured by size of peaks and troughs from baseline of zero frequency = the number of brainwaves per second
types of brainwaves
beta: low amplitude, high frequency, normal waking consciousness
alpha: low-med amplitude, med-high frequency, deeply relaxed state
theta: med-high amplitude, low-medium frequency, during early stages of sleep
delta: high amplitude, low frequency, experienced in deepest stages of sleep
measurements of physiological responses indicating state of consciousness define:
EEG
EOG
EMG
EEG: electroencephalograph, detects, amplifies and records electrical activity in the form of brainwaves
EOG: electrooculograph, detects, amplifies and records electrical activity of muscles that control the eye
EMG: electromyograph, detects, amplifies and records electrical activity of voluntary muscles
techniques for investigating consciousness define
speed and accuracy on cognitive tasks
sleep diary
video monitoring
speed and accuracy measured through a PTV (psychometric vigilance test) requires participants to respond to visual stimulus and measures their speed and accuracy
sleep diaries involve an individual keeping a record of their own subjective experiences, provides insights into behavioural and psychological experiences
psychological measurements of difference between NWC and ASC
Level of awareness: high awareness of environments, controlled and automatic processes good vs low awareness and limited ability for processes
Content limitations: can block bad thoughts vs can’t block and limited info processes
Cognitive distortions: logically and clearly and memorise vs illogical and bad memory
Attention: selective and divided attention vs low ability to attend to stimuli
Perceptual distortions: perceive world right vs hallucinations and distortions reduce or intensify pain
Emotional awareness: appropriate vs dulled or intense, inappropriate
Self control: coordinate one motor skills vs loss of inhibitions
Time orientation: accurately perceive time passing vs faster or slower time
divided vs selective attention
divided: when an individual simultaneously focuses on two or more stimuli or simultaneously undertakes two or more tasks
selective: attending to a particular stimulus whilst ignoring others, takes a high level of awareness
controlled vs automatic processes
automatic: actions that require little conscious awareness or mental effort and do not interfere with performance on other activities
controlled: actions that require a high level of conscious awareness, attention and mental effort
effect of stimulants
elevate mood, increase alertness, reduce fatigue, reduce appetite, increase mainly beta and some alpha e.g caffeine, nicotine, cocaine,
effects of depressants
increase fatigue, induce calmness, reduce anxiety, increase delta and beta and some alpha e.g Benzos, opioids, alcohol
effects of stimulants and depressants on CNS
depressants: slow messages between body and brain
stimulants: create false messages in the brain e.g the brain may not realise the body is under stress
partial vs total sleep deprivation and REM rebound
sleep deprivation is going without sleep or not getting sufficient sleep to support optimal daytime functioning.
partial: getting some sleep in 24 hr period but less than normally required
total: no sleep at all in 24 hr period
REM rebound: when an individual experiences extra amounts of REM sleep after being sleep deprived
effects of sleep deprivation on cognition, concentration and mood (physiological)
fatigue trembling hands drooping eyelids staring increased pain sensitivity slurred speech lack of energy (effects are short lived as we recover quickly with next sleep)
effects of sleep deprivation on cognition, concentration and mood (psychological)
cognition:
affects working memory, attention and decision making
concentration:
deteriorates with less sleep, difficulty with simple monotonous tasks but complex ones less affected
mood:
irritable, short temper, impatient, increase negative mood decrease positive
REM sleep is important for
brain development, restorative function of the brain, improve and preserve neural pathways, consolidation of new memories
NREM sleep is important for
replenishing and restoring body tissues
Sleep Debt
accumulated amount of sleep loss; a typical pattern of sleep recovery following deprivation is:
fall asleep faster
total time asleep is prolonged but you do not need to make up total amount
major improvements in mood, cognition and physiological functioning
no long term effects
effects of alcohol of cognition, concentration and mood
cognition:
impaired, inability to problem solve and make decisions e.g when to give way
concentration:
BAC over 0.05 causes decline in ability to focus on different aspects of driving at once
mood:
mood is exaggerated or intensified
relationship between BAC and sleep deprivation
deprived of sleep for 17-19 hours is same as having BAC of 0.05. so lowered alertness and judgement, lowered inhibitions, minor impairment of memory and reasoning
what is sleep
a naturally occurring altered state of consciousness that features the suspension of awareness of the external environment and is accompanied by a number of physiological changes to the body
the sleep cycle explained
divided into two stages, REM and NREM 1, 2, 3, 4.
when first falling asleep we go into NREM 1 and gradually progress into the next stages and then go back in reverse but instead of entering NREM 1 again they go straight to REM and back into NREM 2 and repeat 5-6 time with each cycle about 90 minutes
physiological measures of sleep
EEG
EOG
EMG
ECG
REM sleep
type of sleep characterised by brainwaves with high frequency and low amplitude, the muscles of the body are paralysed and dreams may be experienced. 1st cycle 10 mins and increases, beta like waves, increased heart rate and breathing restoration SA = dreams, sleep walking. paradoxical sleep (atonia)
NREM sleep
a type of sleep that is broken into 4 stages where the sleeper falls into a deeper and deeper sleep as the stages progress, characterised by relaxation of the muscles, a slowing down of physiological functions and brainwaves that decrease in frequency and increase in amplitude
NREM stages
NREM 1: 5-10 mins, alpha and theta, losing awareness. droopy eyes, heart rate decreases. sleep activity present is light sleep, hallucinations and hypnic jerks
NREM 2: 50% of sleep, 20 mins. theta (sleep spindles and k) physiologically heart rate and breathing decrease. SA = sleep talking
NREM 3: 3-10 mins, theta delta, more relaxation. SA = groggy hard to wake up
NREM 4: 1st cycle 30 mins and decreases, delta (50% or more), no eye movements, sleepwalking and night terrors
hypnogogic state
a state when alpha waves being to present on the EEG as a person drifts from wakefulness to sleep
hypnic jerk
a reflex muscle contraction that occurs during stage NREM 1 as the body is relaxing
sleep spindles
K-complex
sleep spindles: a type of brain activity characterised by a short burst of high-frequency brainwaves, experienced during stage 2 NREM
K-complex: a short burst of high amplitude brainwaves experienced in stage 2 NREM
slow wave sleep
a sleep state characterised by the emergence of delta waves, experienced during NREM 3 and 4
circadian rhythms
are biological processes roughly follow a 24 hr cycle, is controlled by internal and external cues such as body temp cycle and light, the dominant circadian rhythm for humans is the SLEEP-WAKE cycle (NOT the sleep cycle). our internal body clock is in the hypothalamus ad cal called the Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), when there is lack of light it triggers the pineal gland to release melatonin to help us fall asleep
biological rhythms
the cyclic natural rhythms our body follows to perform a variety of functions
ultradian rhythms
a biological rhythm that follows a sleep cycle of less than 24 hours e.g sleep cycle (NOT sleep-wake)
theories of sleep
restoration and evolutionary
restoration theory of sleep
says that sleep is vital for replenishing and revitalising the physiological and psychological resources depleted by waking activities to keep the body functioning at optimum level. NREM = body, REM = brain
Support: marathon runner spend more time in NREM and infants spend more time in REM compared to rest of life
Criticism: bed ridden people require as much sleep as active people
evolutionary theory of sleep
suggests we have periods of inactivity, or sleep, when we do not need to engage in activities important to our survival, takes into account amount of time animal needs to get food and says the rest of that time is better spent sleeping.
Support: bats don’t have high caloric requirement and so sleep 20 hrs, giraffes have high caloric requirement and so only sleep 1.9 hrs
Criticism: we are more vulnerable when we sleep so its not protecting us, also doesn’t explain why we sleep
sleep in infants
16 hrs a day
50% REM
50% NREM
sleep in children
10-11 hrs a day
20-25% REM
75-80% NREM
sleep in adolescents
9 hrs a day
20% REM
80% NREM
sleep in adults
7-8 hrs a day
80% NREM
20% REM
sleep in elderly
6-7 hrs a day
80% NREM
20% REM
not a lot of time in 3 and 4, frequent awakenings
things that disturb circadian rhythms
circadian phase disorder
sleep-wake shift in adolescence
shift work
jet lag
circadian phase disorder
a sleep disorder that disturbs a persons ability to sleep and wake for the periods of time necessary to maintain good health and wellbeing, caused by the sleep wake cycle being out of sync with the natural night-day cycle of the external environment. the effects in daytime are excessive tiredness and desire to sleep, lethargy, difficulty following schedules and memorising . effects at night are difficulty falling asleep at right time and maintaining sleep.
treatments for circadian phase disorder
aimed at resynchronising a persons circadian rhythms to their desired sleep schedule.
involves teaching proper hygiene and external stimulus therapy e.g bright light therapy
the sleep-wake shift in adolescence
occurs during puberty and results in a sleep phase delay meaning that they fall asleep at a later time and wake up later due to the delayed release of melatonin by 1-2 hrs. this results in sleep deprivation as they have to wake up early
effects of the sleep-wake shift in adolescence and how to cope
causes sleep deprivation resulting in impaired cognitive functioning and memory, it reduces REM sleep resulting in difficulty processing information. to cope you should avoid exposure to screens 1 hr before bed and avoid intense study periods before bed
shift work
hours of paid employment outside a normal working day, disrupts natural circadian rhythms and shift workers must override their natural rhythms, if their attempt to to sleep out of adjustment with their body clock for an extended time they may develop a shift work disorder
jet lag
a temporary circadian phase disorder characterised by fatigue and sleep disturbance that results from a disruption of the bodys normal circadian rhythm following long periods of air travel through several time zones
effects of partial sleep deprivation (ABC) plus physical
Affective: amplified emotional responses e.g mood swings, irritability, easily bored
Behavioural: difficulty completing routine tasks, reduced ability to assess risks
Cognitive: memory lapses, reduced creativity, slowed reaction time
Physical: lack of energy, trembling, drooping eyelids
dysomnias vs parasomnias
dysomnia is a group of sleep disorders characterised by disturbance of normal sleep pattern including quality, amount and timing of sleep vs parasomnias are a group of sleep disorders characterised by abnormal or unusual behaviour or physiological occurrences during sleep
dysomnia example
sleep-onset insomnia, a sleep disorder characterised by an inability to fall asleep at the beginning of the night or at the point of normal ‘sleep onset’ must be consistent failure within 20-30 minutes
parasomnias example
sleep walking, a sleep disorder characterised by a sleeping person walking and sometimes completing routine tasks or activities often when in deep sleep (stages NREM 3 and 4)
CBT
cognitive behavioural therapy: focuses on fixing cognitive and behavioural therapies to treat disorders, cognitive component focuses on helping individual change dysfunctional attitudes and thoughts about sleep and behavioural involves addressing behaviours that prevent sleep. involves stimulus and discrimination and sleep hygiene
Bright Light Therapy
exposure to intense but safe amounts of light to shift sleep cycle to a desirable time
