UNIT 4 AOS1 Flashcards
Consciousness
Levels of awareness an individual has over their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and existance.
What are the 2 different types of Consciousness?
- Normal Waking Consciousness.
- Altered State of Consciousness.
Normal Waking Consciousness (NWC)
Aware of thoughts, feelings and behaviours including internal / external events
E.g Awake
Altered State of Consciousness (ASC)
Not fully aware of thoughts, feelings and behaviours
E.g
- Day dreaming
- Coma
- Meditating
- Sleeping
Naturally Occurring (ASC)
A type of altered state of consciousness that occurs without intervention
E.g
- Sleep
- Day dreaming
Induced (ASC)
A type of altered state of consciousness that occurs due to being drunk or hallucinating
E.g
- Drunk
- Hallucinations
Psychological Construct
Sleep cannot be directly measured
Characteristics of Sleep
- Reduced ability to control behaviour
- Reduction in the control we have over our thoughts
- Less accurate understandings of the passage of time
- Perceptual and cognitive distortions
Sleep Episode
The entire time spent in sleep
Sleep Cycle
A proportion of a sleep episode
Approximately 5-6 sleep cycles per episode
Duration of 90 minutes
Two Types of Sleep
- nREM sleep
- REM sleep
nREM
- No eye movement
- Muscle tension
- Stages (1-3)
- 80% of sleep episode in an adult
- Duration per cycle of nREM decreases as sleep episode progresses
- Less dreaming
- Less brain electrical activity than REM
Stage 1 of nREM Sleep
- Light sleep
- Drowsiness - sleeping
- Hypnic jerks occur
- May still hear noises, can be easily woken
Stage 2 of nREM Sleep
- Fully asleep, but light sleep
- Most time spent in stage 2
- Brainwaves occurring
Stage 3 of nREM Sleep
- Deep sleep
- Sleep walking occurs (sonabulism)
- Difficult to wake
REM
- Rapid eye movement
- Muscle paralysis
- Only 1 stage
- 20% of sleep episode in an adult
- Duration per cycle of REM increases as sleep cycle progresses
- Most dreaming (more vivd)
- More brain electrical activity than nREM
ElectroEncephaloGram (EEG)
- Detects, amplifies and records brain activity (brainwaves)
- This device detects impulses when neurons communicate
- High frequency and low amplitude in REM
Frequency
Number of brain waves (electrical impulses) that occur per second
Amplitude
Intensity and height of electrical impulse
If there is higher electrical activity
Increased frequency
Decreased amplitude
If there is less electrical activity
Decreased frequency
Increased amplitude
Types of brain waves for EEG:
Beta waves
Alpha waves
Theta Waves
Delta
Beta like waves
Beta Waves (NWC)
- normal waking consiousness
Highest frequency + lowest amplitude
Neurons firing - aware of environment
Alpha Waves (Drowsy)
- start of nREM 1
Less frequency than beta + more amplitude than beta
(High frequency, low amplitude)
Theta Waves
- end of nREM 1, nREM 2, start of nREM 3
Less frequency than alpha + more amplitude than alpha
(Medium frequency, Medium-high amplitude)
K-complex - random spike in middle
Sleep spindles - a small area with low amplitude for a moment then rises again
Delta Waves
- nREM 3
Lowest frequency + Highest amplitude
Beta - Like Waves
- REM
Similar to beta in terms of frequency and amplitude but occurs in REM sleep
ElectroMyoGraph (EMG)
- Detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of the body muscles.
- Attached to the skin above the muscles.
DURING REM: low activity; low levels of physiological activity.
DURING NREM: medium/moderate activity; some physiological activity.
ElectroOculoGraph (EOG)
- Detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of muscles responsible for eye movement.
- Attached to the skin above eye muscles.
DURING REM: Rapid eye movement; high activity.
DURING NREM: No rapid eye movement; low activity.