Unit 4 AOS 1 Flashcards
1
Q
Psychological (hypothetical) construct
A
a concept that is constructed to describe a specific psychological activity that is believed to exist but cannot be directly observed and difficult to measure, but can be inferred through behaviour and self-reports.
2
Q
What is an example of a psychological construct
A
consciousness
3
Q
Consciousness
A
awareness of our thoughts, feelings and our environment at any moment in time. It is selective, personal, continuous and changing.
4
Q
Continuum of awareness
A
total awareness - focussed attention, ordinary wakefulness, daydreaming, meditation, hypnosis, sleep, anaesthetised, coma - total lack of awareness
5
Q
What does NWC stand for
A
normal waking consciousness
6
Q
Define normal waking consciousness
A
states associated with awareness of our thoughts, feelings and behaviours (internal events) and our surroundings (external stimuli) at any given moment.
7
Q
What does ASC stand for
A
altered state of consciousness
8
Q
Define altered state of consciousness
A
any state that deviated from normal waking consciousness in terms of differences in our level of our thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and our surroundings.
9
Q
Define naturally occurring ASC
A
involves physiological and psychological changes that occur automatically and spontaneously and are produced without our conscious control.
10
Q
Examples of naturally occurring ASCs
A
daydreaming, sleep
11
Q
What is daydreaming
A
an altered state of consciousness that involves a shift in awareness from external events to internal thoughts
12
Q
Define induced ASC
A
involves physiological and psychological changes that are internally achieved by using an aid.
13
Q
Examples of induced ASC’s
A
meditation, sleep using sleep pills, alcohol/drugs,
14
Q
Define meditation
A
a purposely induced ASC, where an individual is highly focused on an internal thought at the expense of other stimuli.
15
Q
Define attention
A
the information that you are actively processing, either consciously or outside of your conscious awareness
16
Q
Define selective attention
A
choosing and attending to a specific stimulus and ignoring others.
17
Q
Define divided attention
A
the capacity to attend to and perform two or more activities at a time.
18
Q
List of psychological indicators
A
self-control, content limitations, time orientation, emotional awareness, cognitive distortions, perceptual distortions, controlled/automatic processes
19
Q
Define content limitations
A
the amount of control you have to limit what you attend to.
20
Q
What happens to content limitations during NWC
A
more controlled, able to select what we attend to
21
Q
What happens to content limitations during ASC
A
may be more or less restricted/controlled (usually less), fewer limitations on content mainly due to a lack of control (e.g. more illogical or bizarre thoughts), more difficult to process information
22
Q
Define controlled process
A
processes that require selective attention and involves conscious awareness.
23
Q
Define automatic process
A
processes that enable us to have divided attention and involve little/no conscious awareness or mental effort.
24
Q
What happens to automatic processes in NWC
A
automatic processes require very little awareness or little mental effort to be performed well, and can allow you to do two things at once (divided attention)
25
What happens to automatic processes in NWC
controlled processes require full awareness and mental effort to focus attention on the required task (selective attention)
26
What happens to automatic processes in ASC
ability to perform some automatic processes, but may be impaired.
27
What happens to controlled processes in ASC
may be more or less controlled, controlled processes are difficult to carry out
28
Define perception
the process of organising sensory input and giving it meaning.
29
Define cognition
related to mental activities such as thinking, problem solving and reasoning.
30
What happens to perception in NWC
perception and sensation (including pain) are realistic.
31
What happens to cognition in NWC
thoughts are clear/organised/logical, effective control of memory processes, ability to reason and problem solve
32
What happens to perception in ASC
perceptions can be heightened or dulled - e.g colour can be perceived as more vivid or dull may + not perceive pain or have a stronger reaction to it (perceptual distortions)
33
What happens to cognition in ASC
thoughts are disorganised/lack logical and problem solving is impaired, memories may be inaccurate or impaired (cognitive distortions)
34
Define emotional awareness
the experience of emotions i.e. feelings
35
What happens to emotional awareness in NWC
aware of our emotions, show a range of emotions that are appropriate for the situation, able to monitor emotions
36
What happens to emotional awareness in ASC
usually less control over our emotions e.g. may be more or less affectionate or aggressive, emotions can be dulled or heightened, inappropriate emotional responses
37
Define self-control
the ability to maintain self-control usually by monitoring behaviour
38
What happens to self-control in NWC
more control over actions and movements, able to plan what you say and do, reserved and avoid doing anything risky or embarrassing
39
What happens to self-control in ASC
decreased self-control, inhibitions and lowered, open to suggestion - follow instructions with little resistance.
40
Define time orientation
ability to correct perceive the speed at which time passes.
41
What happens to time orientation in NWC
good awareness or the passage of time (e.g. 1 hour feels like 1 hour), understand where we are in time (day, night, hour, year), can focus on the past, present and future.
42
What happens to time orientation in ASC
distorted sense of time - may be perceived to be moving quicker or slower.
43
Types of physiological indicators
EEG, EMG, EOG
44
What does EEG stand for
electroencephalograph
45
What does EOG stand for
electro-oculargraph
46
What does EMG stand for
electromyograph
47
Define EEG
an EEG detects, amplifies and records electrical activity of the brain via brainwaves
48
What is frequency
the number of brainwaves per second
49
What is amplitude
the heights of the peaks and the troughs
50
What is the frequency of beta waves
high frequency
51
What is the amplitude of beta waves
low amplitude
52
What states of consciousness are beta waves associated with
normal waking consciousness, (alert, active, paying attention), and there are beta-like waves during REM
53
What is the frequency of alpha waves
high frequency (lower than beta)
54
What is the amplitude of alpha waves
low amplitude (higher than beta)
55
What states of consciousness are alpha waves associated with
awake but very relaxed e.g. daydreaming or about to go to sleep, altered states of consciousness e.g. alcohol
56
What is the frequency of theta waves
medium frequency
57
What is the amplitude of theta waves
mixed amplitudes
58
What states of consciousness are theta waves associated with
early stages of sleep, also seen in young children as psychopaths
59
What is the frequency of delta waves
low frequency
60
What is the amplitude of delta waves
high amplitude
61
What states of consciousness are delta waves associated with
deep NREM sleep, babies and adults with brain tumours
62
Define EOG
an EOG detects, amplifies and records electrical activity of the muscles surrounding the eyes
63
What can EOG’s tell us
whether a person is in NREM or REM sleep.
64
Define EMG
an EMG detects, amplifies and records electrical activity of the muscles in the body
65
What can EMG’s tell us
whether awake, asleep, in NREM or REM sleep
66
What would be expected for awake on EMG
moderate activity
67
What would be expected for NREM sleep on EMG
moderate to low activity
68
What would be expected for REM sleep on EMG
little to no activity
69
Define polysomnogram
An intensive study of sleep through a range of physiological recordings (EEG, EOG, EMG)
70
What does PVT stand for
polysychometric vigilance test
71
What are PVTs used for
it is a test used to measure behavioural alertness, where participants respond to a visual stimulus and their speed and accuracy of the task are measured.
72
What are results of PVT for ASC
(e.g. alcohol induced state) are associated with slower reaction times, showing higher errors in responses. Sleep deprivation can also lead to slower reaction times.
73
Define sleep diary
a record of an individual's sleeping and waking times with related information, usually over a period of several weeks, used as a resource in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, and in monitoring whether treatment of those and other sleep disorders is successful.
74
By whom can sleep diaries be recorded
self-reported or by a caregiver.
75
What can sleep diaries help individuals to do
to become more aware of the parameters affecting their sleep.
76
Is a sleep diary subjective or objective
subjective
77
Advantage of sleep diary
gives rich and important insight into internal experience
78
Limitations of sleep diary
is subjective, artificial environment
79
What is video monitoring
when footage is captured in the dark (using infrared lights) in order to research observable behaviour (e.g. rolling over, sleep walking)
80
Is video monitoring subjective or objective
subjective
81
Why is video monitoring subjective
as it cannot tell what is going on inside the body or what the participant is experiencing, so relies on the researcher to interpret behaviour based on observations.
82
What are the two main types of drugs
stimulants and depressants
83
Define stimulants
drugs that excite neural activity in the brain, which increases bodily functions.
84
What effects do stimulants have on body (6.5)
increase blood pressure and heart rate, constrict blood vessels and increase blood glucose. Their effects can be elevated mood, increased alertness and reduced fatigue.
85
Examples of stimulants
caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines and methamphetamines
86
What effects do stimulants have on brain waves
Stimulants are generally associated with higher levels of beta brainwaves, with some association with increased levels of alpha brainwaves.
87
What can excessive levels of beta waves do
lead to experiences of stress and anxiety, which are side effects of excessive use of stimulant drugs.
88
What brainwaves will be present when a person is stressed
beta waves only (no alpha)
89
What stimulant drugs are associated with increased levels of alpha
nicotine and cocaine
90
What do the stimulant drugs that create alpha waves do to body
can in some cases increase alertness, but also have an influence on reduced stress, feelings of calm and elevated mood.
91
Define depressants
drugs that calm neural activity in the brain, which slows down bodily functions.
92
What are the effects of depressants on the body
lower heart rate and blood pressure, increased fatigue and drowsiness, reduced anxiety, and calming of nerves.
93
Examples of depressants
alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opioids and cannabis
94
What are benzodiazepines used to treat
sleep disorders e.g. insomnia
95
How do benzodiazepines work
binding to the receptor site of post-synaptic neurons to increase/enhance the functioning of GABA (act like a booster), which has a calming effect on the body.
96
What brain waves are depressants associated with
alpha, theta and delta
97
What are depressants that increase alpha waves
alcohol and cannabis
98
What are depressants that increase theta waves
opioid drugs (morphine, codeine, heroin) + delta too
99
What are theta waves associated with
associated with experiencing vivid imagery, being highly creative, deeply relaxed and reduced anxiety but can also make a person more ‘suggestible’ (eg during hypnosis).
100
What depressants increase delta waves
barbiturates that are used as anaesthetics
101
What is sleep deprivation
going without sleep or not getting sufficient amounts of sleep to support optimal functioning.
102
What are the types of sleep deprivation
total and partial
103
Define partial sleep deprivation
a person not receiving the required amount of sleep in a 24 hour period (having some sleep in a 24 hour period but less than what is normally required) due to either decreased quantity or quality
104
Define total sleep deprivation
going without sleep for an entire 24 hour period (can be for one or more nights)
105
Does sleep deprivation have any long term effects if person gets sleep afterwards
no long term physiological or psychological effects
106
Do you need to make up for all the lost hours of sleep
no
107
How are experiments on sled deprivation conducted
using rats, who die quicker from a lack of sleep compared to a lack of food
108
What were the results of college students before a test sleep deprived
those who were sleep deprived performed worse but thought they performed well
109
What aspects of cognition are impacted by sleep deprivation
STM, attention, executive functions e.g. problem solving, processing new declarative memories,
110
What have studies shown about memory
people who are sleep deprived and engage in a memory task show reduced activity in the medial temporal lobe (hippocampus) compared to those who are not sleep deprived.
111
What happens to concentration for automatic processes
Concentration generally deteriorates the more sleep deprived we are for processes that are simple, routine, monotonous tasks (automatic processes) people experience problems with concentration, attention and accuracy.
112
What happens to mood when sleep deprived
positive moods decrease and negative moods increase (vulnerable to stress and anxiety). Effects on mood can include: irritability, short temperedness, impatience, hostility, and argumentativeness. People also have amplified emotional responses.
113
What does BAC stand for
blood alcohol concentration for every 100mL of blood
114
How can BAC be measured
measuring a person’s breath, saliva, blood or urine.
115
What are the BAC limits
0.00 for P platers or professional drivers, 0.05 for full licence
116
What BAC is one night of total sleep deprivation equivalent to
0.10
117
How many hours of sleep deprivation is 0.05 BAC equivalent to
17 hours sleep deprivation
118
What is the ABC of sleep deprivation
affective, behavioural and cognitive functioning
119
What is the effect of sleep deprivation on affective functioning
amplified emotional responses, mood swings, lack of motivation, more negative emotions, less able to recognise other’s emotions e.g facial expressions so less empathetic
120
What is amplified emotional responses
person’s affect or mood being heightened when they are experiencing sleep deprivation
121
What is the effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive functioning
mental abilities impaired so their ability to perform cognitive tasks declines, difficulty concentrating and controlling attention, impairment in memory and learning,
122
What is the effect of sleep deprivation on behavioural functioning
clumsiness, slower reaction times, muscle strength/speed/endurance reduced, impaired ability to perform fine motor functions and coordination, micro sleeps
123
What are physical effects of sleep deprivation
lack of energy, tiredness, trembling hands, drooping eyelids, inability to focus eyes, increased sensitivity of pain, headaches
124
What is a sleep lab
a controlled, artificial environment that looks like a normal bedroom but allows electronic recording and measurement of sleep patterns
125
Define sleep
an altered state of consciousness (ASC) that features the suspension of awareness of the external environment and is accompanied by a number of physiological changes to the body.
126
Define circadian rhythm
biological processes that roughly follow a 24-hour cycle controlled by internal biological processes and external cues.
127
Example of a circadian rhythm
sleep-wake cycle, body temperature
128
How does melatonin release work
the hypothalamus triggers the pineal gland to release melatonin (a hormone that causes drowsiness and helps to regulate the sleep-wake cycle).
129
Define ultradian rhythm
biological rhythms that follow a cycle of less than 24 hours
130
Examples of ultradian rhythms
eye-blinks, heart beats, sleep stages
131
What are the two stages of sleep
NREM and REM
132
What does NREM stand for
non-rapid eye movement
133
What does REM stand for
rapid eye movement
134
What is the average time for a sleep cycle
90 minutes
135
How many cycles do adults go though each night
approximately 5
136
In what cycle do people typically stop entering deep sleep
after 3
137
What happens to REM and NREM as the night progresses
the proportions of time spent in REM increase and the amount of NREM decreases
138
At what time do we have the highest proportion of REM
towards end of sleep
139
Is the brain active in NREM
yes but not as active as in REM
140
What is another name for stage 1 sleep
hypnogogic stage
141
What is stage 1 sleep
is the relaxed state between being awake and being asleep - this is usually only entered into once at the beginning of the sleep cycle (light sleep, easily woken)
142
What may happen is Stage 1 sleep
hallucinatory images, sudden twitches, hypnic jerks (sudden jolts)
143
How long is Stage 1
10 seconds to 30 minutes, but usually 5 minutes
144
What happens if woken up during stage 2
don't believe you were asleep
145
How long is stage 2
around 20 minutes
146
What proportion of sleep is stage 2
50%
147
At what time does stage 4 first occur
around 1 hour
148
What happens in stage 4
poor memory of sleep, bedwetting, sleep walking and talking
149
How light is REM in reference to NREM
lighter than stages 3 and 4, but deeper than stages 1 and 2
150
What is another name for REM sleep
paradoxical sleep
151
Why is it called paradoxical sleep
REM sleep is known as paradoxical sleep because during this stage, the sleeper appears to be in a very deep sleep due to their muscles appearing paralysed, but their brain is actually highly active and the person is usually dreaming.
152
What are the two theories that explain why we sleep
evolutionary theory, restoration theory
153
What is the evolutionary theory of sleep
a theory that proposes that sleep is a means of increasing an animal’s chances of survival in its environment, through sleep depending on the need to find food or to hide from predators.
154
What is evidence to support the evolutionary theory
animals that graze all day sleep less, animals that are vulnerable e.g. mice sleep more so can hide,
155
Limitations of evolutionary theory
all species sleep regardless of danger, sleeping can put animals at risk
156
What is the restoration theory
theory that proposes that sleep occurs to restore and replenish depleted energy stores.
157
What does NREM restore
body
158
What does REM restore
brain
159
Evidence to support restoration theory
feeling tired before sleep and refreshed in morning, when people are sick they sleep for longer, growth hormone is secreted at a much higher rate while asleep, immune system is stronger if had enough sleep, sleep assists in consolidating memories.
160
Limitations of restoration theory
unless undertaking extreme activity do not need more sleep when do exercise, people in wheelchairs need to sleep for the same amounts
161
What happens to duration of sleep across the lifespan
decreases
162
What happens to proportion spent in REM across the lifespan
decreases
163
How many hours do newborns need to sleep for
16 hours
164
What percentage are newborns in REM
50%
165
How many hours do infants need to sleep for
12-13 hours
166
What percentage do infants spend in REM
30%
167
How many hours do children need to sleep for
10-12 hours per day
168
What percentage do children spend in REM
25%
169
How many hours do adolescents need to sleep for
9-10 hours
170
What percentage do adolescents spend in REM
20%
171
How many hours do adults need to sleep for
7-8 hours
172
What percentage do adults spend in REM
20%
173
How many hours do elderly people need to sleep for
5-6 hours per day
174
What percentage do elderly people spend in REM
20%
175
What happens to deep sleep in elderly people
spend less time in deep sleep if any
176
Define sleep disorders
a group of syndromes characterised by a disturbance in a person’s amount, quality or timing of sleep, or behaviours or physiological conditions associated with sleep, that interfere with normal physical, mental and emotional functioning because they disrupt normal restorative sleep.
177
Define a circadian phase disorder
sleep disorder that disturbs a person’s 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.
178
What causes circadian phase disorders
intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors
179
Examples of intrinsic factors
medical conditions, age-related natural shifts in sleep cycle
180
Examples of extrinsic factors
shift work, jet lag
181
Symptoms of circadian phase disorder
difficulty falling asleep at desired time or maintaining sleep, chronic tiredness during waking hours,
182
What can happen if a circadian phase disorder isn’t treated
severe sleep deprivation, may lead to depression, impaired work performance and stressed relationships
183
Types of circadian phase disorders
sleep-wake cycle shifts in adolescents, jet lag, shift work (disorder)
184
Is the sleep cycle in adolescents move forward or back and by how much
forwards 1-2 hours (later) because melatonin is released later
185
Define sleep debt
the amount of sleep loss accumulated from an inadequate amount of sleep, regardless of the cause.
186
Long term effects of adolescent sleep-wake shift
reduced REM sleep, so mental processes cannot be fully restored and memory formation may be impaired, lack of NREM - immunity impaired
187
What you should do to cope with adolescent sleep-wake shift
avoid caffeine/drugs, avoid technology before going to bed, turn lights on to assist waking, no more than 2-3 hour sleep in on weekend
188
Define shift work
working at times that are outside the period of a normal working day and that are not compatible with maintaining a natural, biological sleep-wake cycle.
189
Examples of shift work
night shifts, early morning shifts
190
Why does working at these times affect shift workers
need to be active and alter when melatonin levels are usually high and sleep when melatonin levels are usually low + light
191
Is adolescent sleep-wake shift intrinsic/extrinsic
intrinsic
192
Is shift work disorder intrinsic/extrinsic
extrinsic
193
Is jet lag intrinsic/extrinsic
extrinsic
194
Effects of shift work
risk having an accident at work, less REM and NREM
195
What should you do to cope with shift work
stay on same shift as long as possible and try not to rotate shifts, move shifts forwards gradually, avoid caffeine and drugs at least 6 hours before go to sleep
196
What is jet lag also known as
rapid time zone change syndrome
197
Define jet-lag
is a temporary extrinsic circadian phase disorder characterised by fatigue and sleep disturbance that result from a disruption of the body’s normal circadian rhythm following long periods of air travel through several time zones in one day.
198
How to cope with jet-lag
travel West, expose to light during waking hours, recreate time before leave,
199
Why want to travel West
as this lengthens our day meaning we have to stay up longer and will go to bed when it is dark
200
Why we don’t want to travel East
as this shortens our day and so when we are tired, it will be daytime
201
Define dyssomnias
group of disorders characterised by persistent difficulty falling asleep, remaining asleep or waking up too early, and excessive daytime sleepiness that disturb the amount, quality or timing of sleep and therefore disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
202
Define 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’
203
Daytime symptoms of sleep onset insomnia
feeling tired during day, difficulty concentrating, e.t.c.
204
What are the psychological causes of sleep-onset insomnia
stress, anxiety, depression,
205
What are behavioural causes of sleep-onset insomnia
use of drugs/caffeine before bed, lifestyle habits e.g. shift work, visual stimulation e.g. watching TV
206
Treatments of sleep-onset disorder
CBT, medication, regular exercise, sleep routines
207
Define parasomnia
group of disorders characterised by abnormal movements, behaviours, emotions, perceptions or dreams that occur while falling asleep at any point in the sleep cycle or on waking from sleep. The person usually remains asleep during the event.
208
Does the person usually have memory of the event for parasomnia
no
209
Example of REM sleep parasomnia
recurrent isolated sleep paralysis
210
Examples of NREM sleep parasomnias
teeth grinding, sleep walking
211
What is the scientific name for sleep walking
somnambulism
212
Define sleep walking
is a sleep disorder that occurs when a sleeping person walks and sometimes does routine tasks or activities, often when in deep NREM sleep (stages 3 & 4).
213
Can sleep walkers avoid obstacles
yes as they have intact vision
214
Amongst whom is sleep walking most common
children around 5-12
215
What are some contributing factors
fatigue, sleep deprivation, stress and anxiety, genetics
216
Treatments of sleep walking
psychotherapy, hypnosis, drugs, waking person before they typically sleep walk, good sleep hygiene
217
What are treatments for sleep disorders
bright light therapy and CBT
218
What does CBT stand for
cognitive behavioural therapy
219
Define CBT
a treatment for sleep disorders that focuses on changing a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours surrounding sleep, particularly those that are maladaptive.
220
What can CBT help treat
sleep-onset insomnia.
221
What does the cognitive component of CBT do
correct faulty cognition the person has about sleep that may affect their sleeping behaviour
222
What may be involved in cognitive component of CBT
sleep diary, writing down thoughts
223
What does the behavioural component of CBT do
identify negative or maladaptive behaviours they may have developed in response to their faulty cognitions which hinder their sleep and develop strategies to modify or remove unhelpful behaviours and develop more positive sleeping habits
224
What may be involved in the behavioural component of CBT
stimulus control therapy, sleep restriction therapy, sleep hygiene, relaxation training, sleep environment improvement
225
What is stimulus control therapy
targeting factors that condition the mind to resist sleep e.g. encourage bed for sleeping (reduce things like reading, using technology while on bed)
226
What is sleep restriction
limiting the time spent in bed to the actual time spent sleeping and to increase sleep efficiency by prolonging sleep time - creates a mild sleep deprivation
227
What is sleep hygiene
lifestyle habits or routines that influence the quality and length of sleep
228
What does CBT relaxation involve
meditation, guided imagery, breathing exercises
229
What is bright light therapy
exposing individuals to intense but safe of artificial light for a specific and regular length of time (intended to mimic natural daylight) to help synchronise their sleep-wake cycle with a normal external day-night cycle.
230
Why is bright light therapy used
to slow or stop melatonin
231
Define validity
the extent to which an assessment tool actually measures what it is designed to measure.
232
Define reliability
the extent to which an assessment tool measures what it is supposed to measure consistently.
