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Psychology gcse > Sleep and Dreaming p2 > Flashcards

Sleep and Dreaming p2 Flashcards

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1
Q

Stage 1 of sleep cycle

A

10%
The stage of light, drowsy sleep when people are easily woken.
- very light sleep/easily woken up
- muscles are not very active
- eye movement slow + may twitch suddenly
- muscle spasms and sensation of falling

2 brain waves
alpha —> restful
theta —> characterise a period between wake and sleep

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2
Q

Stage 2 of sleep cycle

A 
50%
The stage where people lose consciousness and brain waves begin to slow down.
- eye movement stops
-Brain bursts with activity 
-body temperature starts to drop
- heart rate slows down
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3
Q

Stage 3 of sleep cycle

A

10%

- brain slows down dramatically, producing delta waves and also short faster waves

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4
Q

Stage 4 of sleep cycle

A

10%
The stage before REM sleep when people are in a deep sleep.
- Difficult to wake up/deep sleep
- More growth hormones release into body which helps with physical repair
- No eye movement or muscle activity

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5
Q

Stage 5 of sleep cycle

A

20%
REM
- breathing quicker/less regular
- movement of eyes is rapid + limb muscles are temporarily paralysed
-when your dreaming
- wake up during a dream means you will remember it
- As night goes on, stage lasts longer

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6
Q

REM

A

Rapid Eye Movement

= when dreaming occurs (last stage)

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7
Q

NREM

A

Non-Rapid Eye Movement

= sleeping but not dreaming

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8
Q

How long does a complete sleep cycle last?

A

90 minutes

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9
Q

Longest time spent % (stage)?

A

stage 2

50%

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10
Q

5 reasons why we sleep (functions)

A

1) sleep is universal behaviour, we all do it
2) physical repair –> slow wave sleep heals cells and homeostasis, immune system activity increases and during deep sleep body repairs and grows
3) sleep keeps us safe, less likely to get eaten by predators
4) healthy brain –> resets brain after the day and helps us consolidate (bring together) information and memories. And when we sleep space between brain cells increases, allowing brain to clear out toxins associated with neurodegeneration
5) emotional stability —> when we are well rested, we release less stress hormones called cortisol

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11
Q

What is the stress hormone we release called?

A

cortisol

= if we are well rested, less stress hormones are released

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12
Q

Health

A

A state of complete physical/mental/social well being

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13
Q

Neurotransmitter

A

A chemical that passes messages around the brain from neuron to neuron

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14
Q

Emotional Stability

A

Feeling normal and psychologically healthy

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15
Q

Neuropsychology

A

How a persons behaviour and cognition affects their psychology (brain)

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16
Q

Homeostasis

A

Maintenance of a constant internal environment (maintaining stability)

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17
Q

Circadian Rhythm

A

Your 24 hour internal body clock pattern (physical,mental and behavioural)

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18
Q

Slow wave sleep

A

A type of deep sleep where the brain activity is slow.

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19
Q

Exogenous Zeitgebers + example

A

Features of the environment (physical/social) that helps to manage bodily rhythms
= light,temperature , eating and sleepong patterns

= light is an external cue that regulates bodily rhythm

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20
Q

Endogenous Pacemaker + example

A

Internal biological clocks that manage bodily rhythms

= Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) found in the hypothalamus, it is a collection of nerve cells

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21
Q

How endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers control sleep patterns? (neuropsychology of sleep)

A

1) When exposed to light, the retina sends a signal to the hypothalamus which is a collection of nerve cells called the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN).
2) This sends messages to other areas of the brain making us sleepy
3) Melatonin is the ‘sleep hormone’ which regulates our sleep-wake cycles.
4) Melatonin is released by the pineal gland (during the day inactive and is then ‘switched on’ producing melatonin)
5) As melatonin increases, we become drowsy and eventually fall asleep
6) Melatonin is high for about 12 hours, until the start of the day

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22
Q

What is Melatonin and what releases it?

A

‘sleep hormone’ which regulates our sleep-wake cycle and is released by the pineal gland which is inactive during the day and later switched on at night

= high melatonin levels for 12 hours, until start of day

23
Q

Sleep disorder

A

Behaviours that affect our normal patterns of sleep

24
Q

Insomnia

A

When someone is unable to get to sleep or stay asleep (2 types)
= sleep onset and sleep maintenance

25
Q

Sleep Onset Insomnia and causes

A

Someone who struggles to get to sleep
= ongoing anxiety, too much caffeine or nicotine before bed, heavy meal before bed, physical pain and exposure to blue light.

26
Q

Sleep Maintenance Insomnia and causes

A

Someone who can fall asleep but cannot stay asleep and keeps on waking up.
= depression, alcohol, restless leg syndrome, sharing a room with a snorer and menopause.

27
Q

What does SCN stand for and what is it/where is it found?

A

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus is a collection of nerve cells in the hypothalamus

28
Q

Freud’s personality theory

A 
Id = instinct (unconsciousness, pleasure principle)
Ego = Reality (makes decisions and suffers consequences,reality principle)
Superego = Morality (ego ideal, conscious)

(think of it like the devil and angel on the egos shoulder)

29
Q

The unconscious mind

A

The part of the mind that people are not aware of but still holds thoughts and memories

30
Q

Repression

A

The process of pushing unpleasant thoughts and experiences into the unconscious mind
- acts as a defence mechanism for guilt, anxiety etc

31
Q

Wish fulfillment

A

Satisfying urges and desires

32
Q

Manifest and latent content dreams?

A

Manifest content - what actually happens in the dream

Latent content - the hidden meaning in the manifest content

33
Q

latent

A

hidden

34
Q

Freudian theory of dreaming

A
  • Believed actions do not just happen, they are influenced by unconscious urges and desires
  • Investigated unconscious mind through analysing dreams
  • Dreams act as a wish fulfillment - people cannot fulfill their deepest desires so dream them instead = releases anxiety and guilt
  • Repression acts as a defence mechanism, blocking unpleasant emotions/thoughts/feelings into the unconscious mind =deal with guilt + anxiety
  • Manifest content and Latent content
  • Personality theory = Id our instincts and pleasure principle in unconscious state.
35
Q

Outline Freud’s theory of dreaming (model 6 mark answer)

A
  • argues that we could understand what is happening in someone’s unconscious mind by analysing their dreams
  • because believed dreams are repressed urges as wish fulfilment of people’s deepest desires that could not be fulfilled irl —> to release anxiety + urges
  • repression acts as a defence mechanism
  • manifest/latent content
  • example: person dreaming of falling (manifest) may be feeling they are losing control of an aspect of their life (latent)
36
Q

Criticisms of Freud’s theory of dreaming

A

1- too subjective = dream interpretation is very open to opinion, a number of ppl could analyse the same dream but interpret the latent content differently
2- difficult to test = concepts are not objective enough, partly due to the fact that dreams cannot be easily verified (how do we know that ppl are recalling their dreams accurately?) -> low reliability
3- based on unreliable research = evidence from case studies, so making generalisations about the meaning of dreams for all may not be fair
4- narrow interpretation = only relates them to wish fulfillment and sex/aggression – nightmares are difficult to be accepted as wish fulfillment!
5- cultural/historical bias = outdated, wider understanding/knowledge
6- too holistic = too much thought and in dept perceptions of dreams that are most likely no true

37
Q

Psychoanalysis

A

A type of therapy that attempts to resolve psychological problems by assessing unconscious and unresolved conflicts (that past)

38
Q

case study

A

an investigation into one person or a small group of people done by interview or questionnaires (e.g cw)

39
Q

strengths of case studies

A
  • provides detailed (rich qualitative) information
  • provides insight for further research
  • permitting investigation of otherwise impractical (or unethical) situations
40
Q

weaknesses of case studies

A
  • lacking scientific rigour and providing little basis for generalisation of results to the wider population
  • researchers’ own subjective feeling may influence the case study (researcher bias)
  • difficult to replicate —> low reliability
  • time consuming and expensive
41
Q

reliability vs validity

A 
reliability = a measure of how consistent or replicable something is
validity = a measure of how true accurate something is (are you measuring what you set out to measure?)
42
Q

Activation Synthesis Theory

A

A neurobiological theory with an expression of dreams that focuses on the random activation of neurons and the brain’s efforts to make sense of this through synthesis.
1) powerful electrical signals pass through brain (shown as sudden spikes)
2) signals sent from pons in brainstem, from neurons that move the eyes, and activate the limbic system and travel up the occipital lobe.
3) brain draws upon memories to make sense of random surges of activity creating dreams.
= developed by Hobson and McCarley, state that dreams have no real meaning

43
Q

Pons

A

A part of the brain stem that operates as a message station

44
Q

Synthesise (AST)

A

To make sense of and give meaning to dreams

45
Q

Activation Process and Synthesis Process (AST)

A

A=Pons in the brain stem sending signals to the cerebral cortex
S=Your brain making sense of and giving meaning to dreams

46
Q

Difference between Freud and Activation Synthesis Theory?

A

Freud stated that dreams have meaning, and are formed by our prior experiences, and that are dreams act as our wish fulfillment.
AST stated that dreams have no real meaning, ignores nurture.

47
Q

Criticisms of the Activation Synthesis Theory

A

1) reductionist = dreams are highly complex and, although bizarre, packed full of meaning. Therefore, critics say it is wrong to try and reduce this down to simple neuronal processes. Compared to the more holistic Freudian theory, this is far too simplistic
2) argued that dreams are not random = some people have recurring dreams
3) dreams occur in non-REM stages of sleep = although brain activity is reduced in other stages, there is evidence of dreaming even if they are not as vivid (better recall in REM sleep could be due to the likelihood of to wake).
4) patients with damage to brainstem do not stop dreaming = even though the usual signals are not being sent in the brains of these patients, they still dream (better explained by theories that suggest dreams are about organising your memory from the day).

48
Q

sleep hygiene

A

a series of healthy sleep habits that can improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
—> e.g avoiding alcohol before bed, don’t go to bed unless sleepy, keeping a constant schedule

49
Q

Parasympathetic nervous system

A

Our normal resting state , needed for sleep

= a division of the nervous system that regulates organ and gland functions during rest

50
Q

Sympathetic nervous system

A

a division of the nervous system that controls fight or flight response when faced with stress (what is activated)
=causes insomnia if activated when falling asleep

51
Q

What happens when the sympathetic nervous system is activated when trying to sleep?

A

More blood to the heart due to increased heart rate, taking blood and oxygen to working muscles in order to “run away” or “fight”. Therefore, if this is activated when trying to sleep you will not be able to sleep as your breathing will be erratic and heart rate will be faster

52
Q

We can help out parasympathetic nervous system by helping it to do it job by…

A
  • relaxation techniques; deep breathing
  • keeping yourself healthy
  • clearing the mind by writing down thoughts
53
Q

What part of the brain, if damaged, can cause insomnia? And WHY

A

Hypothalamus , damaged after surgery, a disease, tumour or trauma.
why - Since the SCN is part of the hypothalamus this damage can result in insomnia, it can be helped by drugs that act as a melatonin substitute

54
Q

dreams/dreaming def

A

A series of thoughts, images and sensations occurring in a persons mind during sleep

Psychology gcse (7 decks)

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