Unit V - States of Consciousness Flashcards
What is sleep?
A periodic, natural loss of consciousness - as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation
What is the circadian rhythm?
circa = “about”
diem = “day”
Our bodies roughly
synchronize with the 24-hour cycle of day and night thanks to an internal biological clock
What does the circadian rhythm impact?
Sleep-wake cycles, temperature, hormonal, and digestive cycles
How does the circadian rhythm affect our daily functioning?
Body temperature rises as dawn nears, peaks during the day, dips in the afternoon then drops again in the evening.
Thinking and memory improve as we approach our daily peak in circadian arousal.
Age and experience may alter our circadian rhythm.
How do psychologists research biological rhythms that occur during sleep?
EEG records brain wave activity while sleeping.
Varying wave patterns occur during sleep.
What are alpha waves?
Relatively slow alpha waves of awake but relaxed state
Then you slowly enter sleep
What will be recorded as you move into sleep?
We seem unaware of the moment we fall into sleep, but someone watching our brain waves could tell.
Lower amplitude
What are the two divisions of sleep stages?
NREM sleep
REM sleep
What is NREM sleep?
non-rapid eye
movement sleep; encompasses all
sleep stages except for REM sleep
What is REM sleep?
rapid eye movement
sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams
commonly occur
What is NREM -1 stage sleep?
You may experience fantastic images resembling hallucinations, sensation of falling or floating weightlessly, a leg or arm may jerk
What are hypnagogic sensations?
Occurs during NREM-1 sleep
Imagined sensations that seems very realistic
What is NREM -2 stage sleep?
Relax more deeply
Begin about 20 minutes of NREM-2 sleep
Periodic sleep spindles — bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain-wave activity, and K-complexes.
Point at which you can considered asleep
What is NREM -3 stage sleep?
Last stage of slow-wave sleep Last about 30 minutes Hard to awake Brain emits large, slow delta waves Causes you to miss loud noises
How do we move through the stages of sleep in a night?
Cycling through sleep stages is like being
on a roller coaster.
REM increases as night progresses
REM sleeps comes directly after…
NREM-2 sleep
How does the stages of sleep progress?
Awake NREM-1 NREM-2 NREM-3 NREM-2 REM NREM-2 NREM-3
What is REM sleep?
rapid eye movement
sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur
Why is REM sleep known as paradoxical sleep?
Muscles are relaxed while other body systems are active
How do researchers study REM?
Using an EEG, researchers were able to see that the sleeper’s eyes moved rapidly from left to right
while emitting rapid, saw-toothed brain waves.
What physiological events occur during REM?
heart rate rises
breathing becomes rapid/irregular
genitals become aroused- erection/vaginal lubrication
muscle paralysis occurs
How does sleep change as we age?
As people age, sleep becomes
more fragile, with awakenings
common among older adults.
How do biology and environment interact in our sleep patterns
Sleep patterns are genetically influenced, but they are also culturally influenced.
In Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan, and the United States, adults average 7 hours of sleep a night on work days, 7-8 hours on other days
Why do American students get less sleep than their Australian counterparts?
earlier school start times
increased extracurricular activities
lack of parent-set (and enforced) bedtimes
What three environmental factors play a role in our biological ability to sleep?
Modern electric lighting
Shift work
Social media diversions
What is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)?
a pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm
In response to light, the SCN causes the brain’s pineal gland to…
decrease its production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin in
the morning and to increase it in the evening thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness.
How does the SCN react during the day?
Light striking retina signals SCN to suppress the pineal gland’s production of sleep hormone melatonin
How does the SCN react at night?
At night, the SCN
quiets down, allowing the pineal
gland to release melatonin into the
bloodstream
What are sleep’s functions?
Protection Recuperation Restoration & Rebuilding Feeds creative thinking Support Growth
How does sleep provide protection?
Ancestors better off to sleep in a cave out of harm’s way
Those who didn’t wander around dark cliffs were more likely to have kids
How does sleep provide recuperation?
Sleep helps to restore immune system and repair brain tissue
Resting neurons time to repair while pruning unused connections
How does sleep provide restoration & rebuilding?
Sleep consolidates our memories by replaying recent learning
and strengthening neural connections.
How does sleep feeds creative thinking?
Dreams can inspire noteworthy artistic and scientific achievements.
A complete night’s sleep gives a boost to
our thinking and learning.
How does sleep supports growth?
During slow-wave sleep, which occurs mostly in the first half of a night’s sleep, the pituitary gland releases human growth hormone, which is necessary for muscle development.
Who were two major figures in consciousness research?
William James
Sigmund Freud
What did William James believe about consciousness?
James discussed a continuous “stream of consciousness,” with each moment flowing into
the next.
What did Sigmund Freud believe about consciousness?
Freud believed the
unconscious was a hiding place for our most anxiety-provoking ideas and emotions, and that
uncovering those hidden thoughts could lead to healing.
What is the place of consciousness in psychology’s history?
Early half of 20th century, study of consciousness abandoned for behaviorism
After 1960, study of mental process rebounded due to neuroscience linking brain activity to consciousness
What is consciousness?
Subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment
One part of dual processing of two track minds
What are some aspects about consciousness?
Although much of our information
processing is conscious, more is unconscious and automatic — outside our awareness.
What is hypnosis?
social interaction in
which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject)
that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will
spontaneously occur.
Altered states of consciousness that occur spontaneously
Daydreaming
Drowsiness
Dreaming
Altered states of consciousness that are physiologically induced
Hallucinations
Orgasm
Food or oxygen starvation
Altered states of consciousness that are psychologically induced
Sensory deprivation
Hypnosis
Meditation
Can anyone experience hypnosis?
To some extent, we are all suggestible.
Highly hypnotizable people, about 20% of us, are usually very imaginative.
Children also make good subjects for hypnosis.
Can you recall forgotten events?
NOPE
Life experiences are not stored in memory banks
Memories retrieved through hypnosis combine fact with fiction
What is the post-hypnotic suggestion?
suggestion, made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer
hypnotized; used by some clinicians to help control undesired symptoms and behaviors
How effective are post-hypnotic suggestions?
Helped to alleviate headaches, asthma, and stress-related anxiety and skin disorders
Can I be forced to act against my will?
Hypnosis can suggest to perform an action but can’t force you to do something against your will
What is hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapists try to help patients harness their
own healing powers.
What results has hypnosis brought about?
the average client whose therapy was supplemented with hypnosis showed greater improvement than 70 percent of other therapy patients.
Hypnosis seemed especially helpful for
the treatment of obesity. but not as effective to drug, alcohol, or smoking addiction
Can hypnosis relieve pain?
Yes
When unhypnotized people put their arm in an ice
bath, they felt intense pain within 25 seconds.
When hypnotized people did the same after being given suggestions to feel no pain, they indeed
reported feeling little pain.
Is hypnosis an extension of normal consciousness?
The more the individual being hypnotized likes and trusts the hypnotist, the more they allow that person to direct their attention and fantasies.
Is hypnosis an altered state?
Hilgard believed hypnosis involves not only social influence but also a special
dual-processing state of dissociation as vivid form of everyday mind splits
What is dissociation?
a split between different levels of consciousness.
Give an example of dissociation.
Listening to a lecture or typing the end of a sentence while starting a conversation
How did Ernest Hilgard test hypnosis?
A hypnotized woman exhibited no pain
when her arm was placed in an ice bath.
When the same hypnotized woman was asked to press a key if some part of her felt the pain, she did
How do the two theories explain hypnosis?
Divided consciousness theory claims that hypnosis has caused a split in awareness
social influence theory claim that the subject is so caught up in the hypnotized role that the cold is ignored
The _________approach explains hypnosis.
biopsychosocial
What are some biological influences on hypnosis?
Distinctive brain activity
Unconscious info processing
What are some psychological influences on hypnosis?
focused attention
expectations
heightened suggestibility
dissociation between normal sensations and conscious awareness
What are some social cultural influences on hypnosis?
Presence of an authoritative person in legitimate context
Role playing the “good subject”
What is sleep loss?
Sleeping less than what is needed to properly operate
What are some consequences of sleep loss?
More conflicts in friendships and romantic relationships.
Predictor of depression
Increases appetite and eating
How does sleep loss impact our physical health?
suppression of immune cells that battle viral infections/cancer
More likely to catch a cold
Long life expectancy
How does sleep deprivation impact the brain?
Decreased ability to focus, process, and store memories
Increased risk of depression
Decreased metabolic rate
Decreased ability to resist temptations
How does sleep deprivation impact the heart?
Increased risk of high blood pressure
How does sleep deprivation impact the stomach?
Increase in the hunger arousing hormone, ghrelin, decrease in hunger suppressing hormone, leptin
How does sleep deprivation impact the muscles?
Reduced strength and slower reaction time and motor learning
How does sleep deprivation impact the joints?
Increased inflammation and arthritis
How does sleep deprivation impact the immune system?
decreased production of immune cells
Increased risk of viral infections
How does sleep deprivation impact the fat cells?
Increased production and greater risk of obesity
How does sleep loss impact car accidents?
End of daylight saving- greater accidents due to less sleep
Start of daylight saving- less accidents due to greater sleep
What are the most common sleep-wake disorders?
Insomnia Narcolepsy Sleep apnea Sleepwalking or sleep talking Night terrors
What is insomnia?
persistent problems in either falling or staying asleep
Afflicts about 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 4 older adults
Tends to worsen with anxiety
What are results of insomnia
Tiredness and increased risk of depression
How to NOT treat insomnia
Sleeping pills and alcohol can aggravate problem and tolerance
What is narcolepsy?
narke-numbness
lepsis-seizure
sudden attacks of overwhelming sleepiness, usually lasting less than 5 minutes triggered by strong emotions
afflicts 1 in 2000
What is sleep apnea?
apnea- with no breath
intermittently stop breathing during sleep.
decreased blood oxygen arouses them enough to snort in air for a few seconds, in a process that repeats hundreds of
times each night, depriving them of slow-wave sleep.
no memory of episodes
afflicts 1 in 20 people
What is a possible treatment for sleep apnea?
continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
machine applies mild air pressure to keep the airways open
What are night terrors?
target mostly children sit up or walk around, talk incoherently, experience doubled heart and breathing rates, and appear terrified while asleep Barely recall an episode Occurs in NREM-3
What is sleepwalking?
somnambulism
Childhood disorder runs in families
occurs during NREM-3 sleep
Usually harmless without recollection
What is sleeptalking?
childhood disorders that runs in families
Occur at any stage
What do we dream?
80% - at least one negative event/emotion
Common themes- failure, being attacked, rejected, or pursued, misfortune
10% of men and 30% of women- sexual content
What is the Freudian theory of dreams?
Dreams exist to satisfy own unconscious wishes
provide safe place to discharge socially unacceptable feelings/urges
What is a dream’s manifest content?
What we remember we dreamed
What is a dream’s latent content?
Unconscious drives and wishes(erotic) that would be threatening if directly expressed
Manifest content is ________, ______ version of latent content
censored & symbolic
What is example of Freudian theory of dreams?
Gun = disguised representation of penis
What is the information-processing theory of dreams?
Dreams may help sift, sort, and fix the day’s experiences in our memory.
Link between REM sleep and memory exists
Does sleep increases learning?
YES
high school students with high grades slept about 25 minutes longer each night than their lower-achieving classmates.
What is the physiological function theory of dreams?
May provide brain with periodic stimulation
Infants spend most sleep time in REM sleep-development of brain
How does sleep and dreaming change as we age?
During our first few months, we spend progressively
less time in REM sleep. During our first 20 years, we spend progressively less time asleep.
What is the activation synthesis theory of dreams?
dreams are the brain’s attempt to synthesize random neural activity.
Dreams erupt from neural activation spreading upward from the brainstem.
What is the cognitive development theory of dreams?
brain maturation and cognitive development.
overlap with cognition and feature coherent speech
simulate reality
Viewed as intensified mind wandering, enhanced by visual imagery
What are the 5 types of dream theories?
Freudian Activation-synthesis Information processing Cognitive development Physiological function
What is REM rebound?
tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation.
Deeply biological
occur only in mammals whose behavior is influenced by learning
What are psychoactive drugs?
chemical substances that alter perceptions and moods
What is substance abuse disorder?
disorder characterized by continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk
What is tolerance?
diminishing effect
with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to
take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect
What is addiction?
primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry
How is addiction characterized?
inability to abstain consistently
impairment in behavioral control
diminished recognition of behavioral problems
Dysfunctional emotional response
Despite the adverse consequences of using the drug, people in the grip of addiction ____ the drug more than they ____ the drug.
want
like
How can tolerance lead to a substance abuse disorder?
neuroadaptation - brain chemistry changes to offset effects of drug
larger and larger doses required- increased risk of addiction
What is withdrawal?
the discomfort and
distress that follow discontinuing
an addictive drug or behavior
How has the concept of addiction changed?
Certain behaviors- compulsive/dysfunctional like problematic alcohol and drug use
Other behaviors require more study
What are the three major categories of psychoactive drugs?
Depressants
Stimulants
hallucinogens
What are depressants?
Drugs that reduce neural activity/ slow body functions
What is alcohol?
CNS depressant - slow down neural activity in brain/ spinal cord
How does alcohol interact with neurotransmitters?
GABA-inhibitory
glutamate- excitatory
both interact to produce the effects
When alcohol enters the body, it acts as an _______ with ______ receptors making them more inhibitory.
agonist
inhibitory
Alcohol acts as an ________ to _________ receptors and prevents _______ from exciting the cell.
antagonist
glutamate
How does alcohol use disorder change the structure of the brain?
MRI scans show brain shrinkage(enlarged ventricles) in women
How does alcohol impair reaction time?
slowed neural processing causes slow reactions, slurred speech , and deteriorating skilled performance
What does research show about human’s awareness of drunken states?
When drunk, people aren’t aware how drunk they are.
Sober people who claim not to drive home under alcoholic consumption almost always do
How does alcohol impair memory and self-awareness?
Memory disruption
Reduced self-awareness
How can alcohol cause memory disruption?
Alcohol suppresses REM sleep, which is needed for memory consolidation.
How does alcohol cause memory disruption?
People who want to suppress their awareness of failures or shortcomings are more likely to drink
More likely to be caught mind-wandering without realization
What are expectancy effects?
Expectations influence behavior.
Believing we are consuming alcohol can cause us to act out on presumed influence
What are barbiturates?
drugs that depress
central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment
What are examples of barbiturates and their effects?
Nembutal, Seconal, Amytal
prescribed to induce sleep/reduce anxiety
How can barbiturates be harmful?
Large doses cause impaired memory/judgement
Combined with alcohol to cuase lethal impact
What are opiates?
depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety.
What are signs of opiate usages?
constricted pupils
slow breathing
lethargic
Examples of opiates
Heroin
Morphine
How can an opiate addiction lead to death?
Overdose due to tolerance
What occurs when brain is consistently flooded with opiates?
halt production of endorphins
Withdrawal causes lack of normal level of painkilling neurotransmitters
What are stimulants?
Drugs that excite neural activity/speed up body functions
Examples of stimulants
caffeine nicotine cocaine amphetamines methamphetamine ecstasy
Why use stimulants?
feel alert
lose weight
boost mood
athletic performance
What is nicotine?
a stimulating and highly
addictive psychoactive drug found in tobacco
Example of tabacoo products
Cigarettes cigars chewing pipe snuff vapes
Research on tobacco use
decreased life expectancy
in 2030, nearly one billion twenty first century may be killed by tobacco
How teens keep the cigarette industry in business.
Virtually no one smokes beyond teenage yeats
Companies target teens for business- portrayals in popular movies
What are the physiological effects of nicotine?
Reaches brain within 7 seconds- twice as quickly as heroin Increased heart rate/blood pressure Reduced circulation Relaxed muscles Reduce stress Suppresses carbohydrates Aroused brain
What is cocaine?
powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant; produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria
How can cocaine be consumed?
Snorted, injected, or smoked
What happens when cocaine enter your blood stream?
Producing rush of euphoria depleting dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine
How does cocaine impact normal neural transmission?
bind to absorption sites
blocks re uptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin
How does blocking re-uptake produce euphoria?
Extra neurotransmitter remain intensifying normal mood-altering effect
What is methamphetamine
Extremely addictive drug stimulates CNS
Accelerated body functions/ energy & mood changes
Reduce baseline dopamine levels
Meth’s aftereffects
irritability, insomnia, hypertension, seizures, social isolation, depression, violent outburst
What physical changes result with methamphetamine use?
Accelerated aging
What is Ecstasy(MDMA)?
synthetic stimulant/mild hallucinogen
Effects of ecstasy
Euphoria
social intimacy
Risks to serotonin-producing neurons
Risks to mood and cognition
How does Ecstasy (MDMA) work?
amphetamine derivative
triggers dopamine release
Released stored serotonin/block reuptake
Research on Ecstasy
Dehydrating effect Decreased serotonin output Increased risk of depressed mood Suppressed immune system Slows thought Disrupted sleep
What are hallucinogens?
Psychedelic drugs
that distort perceptions/ evoke sensory images in absence of sensory input
What are hallucinations?
distorted perceptions and sensory images in the absence of sensory
input
What are near-death experiences?
an altered state of consciousness
reported after a close brush with death similar to hallicinations
What is LSD?
powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid
LSD’s impact on emotions
Varying emotions- euphoria to panic
What is marijuana?
Classified as mild hallucinogen
amplified sensitivity to sensory info
Euphoria
What is THC?
Psychoactive ingredient in marijuana
Can be smoked or eaten
