Psychology Ch 5 Variations In Consciousness

Front 1

What is consciousness?

Back 1

the awareness of internal and external stimuli

Front 2

What are the roles of consciousness?

Back 2

- restricts our attention
- combines sensation with learning and memory
- allows us to create a mental model of the world that we can manipulate

Front 3

What are the levels of consciousness?

Back 3

Consciousness - brain process of which we are aware
Nonconsciousness - b.p. that does not involve processing (heart rate, breathing)
Preconsciousness - info that is not currently in consc. but can be brought into consc. if attention is called to it
Unconsciousness - many levels of processing that occur without awareness

Front 4

What is an EEG?

Back 4

summarizes the rhythm of cortical activity in the brain by line tracings called brain waves

Front 5

What are circadian rhythms?

Back 5

psychological patterns that repeat approx. every 24 hours

Front 6

What are the sleep stages and the waves associated with them?

Back 6

Awake/Alert - beta waves
Drowsy - alpha waves
Stage 1 - theta waves (hypnic jerks)
Stage 2 - theta waves (sleep spindles)
Stage 3 - delta waves (slow wave sleep)
Stage 4 - delta waves (sws)
REM - dream, beta waves, sleep paralysis

Front 7

Special things about stages

Back 7

stages 3 & 4 are deep sleep (4 is deepest)
stage 2 - most time spent in
order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, REM

Front 8

What does REM-sleep deprivation lead to?

Back 8

REM rebound

Front 9

What are the functions of sleep?

Back 9

- memory-consolidation
- to conserve energy
- to restore the body (neurotransmitters, neuron sensitivity)
- to build "neural nets" and flush out useless info.

Front 10

What are the age trends in sleep?

Back 10

Newborns - about 16 hours sleep
Over the years, the need for REM sleep decreases considerably

Front 11

What is sleep debt?

Back 11

deficiency caused by not getting the amount of sleep that one requires for optimal functioning

Front 12

Why do we dream?

Back 12

Freud believed that dreams served to:
guard sleep & serve as a source for wish fulfillment

Front 13

What are two characteristics (content) of dreams?

Back 13

manifest content - plot
latent content - supposed interpretation

Front 14

How does dream content vary and how can it help us?

Back 14

- varies by culture, gender, and age
- frequently connects with recent experience
- may help us form memories

Front 15

What is the activation-synthesis theory?

Back 15

- theory that dreams begin with random electrical activation coming from brain stem
- dreams are the brain's attempt to make sense of this random activity

Front 16

What are the sleep disorders?

Back 16

- insomnia
- sleep apnea
- narcolepsy (cataplexy)
- night terrors
- somnabulism

Front 17

What is insomnia?

Back 17

- involves insufficient sleep, the ability to fall asleep quickly, frequent arousals, or early awakenings
- most common sleep disorder

Front 18

What is sleep apnea?

Back 18

respiratory disorder in which a person intermittently stops breathing while asleep

Front 19

What is narcolepsy?

Back 19

involves sudden REM sleep attacks accompanied by cataplexy

Front 20

What is cataplexy?

Back 20

- sudden loss of muscle control that occurs before narcoleptic sleep attack
- waking form of sleep paralysis

Front 21

What are night terrors?

Back 21

- the screaming of a child in deep sleep, who, once awakened, has no memory of what mental events might have caused the fear
- happens during stage 4

Front 22

What is somnabulism?

Back 22

- sleepwalking
- stage 3 or 4

Front 23

What other forms can consciousness take?

Back 23

an altered state of consciousness occurs when some aspect of normal consciousness is modified by mental, behavioral, or chemical means
- hypnosis, meditation, psychoactive drug states

Front 24

What is hypnosis?

Back 24

induced state of altered awareness, characterized by heightened suggestibility (gullibility) and deep relaxation
(Hypnos - greek sleep god)

Front 25

What is hypnotizability?

Back 25

degree to which an individual is responsible to hypnotic suggestions

Front 26

What do experts disagree on about hypnosis?

Back 26

disagree about whether hypnosis involves:
- a distinct state of consciousness
- heightened motivation
- social processes such as role playing
- a dissociate state (Hilgard's "hidden observer" view)

Front 27

What are the practical uses for hypnosis?

Back 27

- research(ers)
- psychological treatment
- medical & dental treatment
- hypnotic analgesia - diminished sensitivity to pain while under hypnosis

Front 28

What is meditation?

Back 28

form of consciousness change induced by focusing on a repetitive behavior, assuming body positions and minimizing external stimulation

Front 29

What are psychoactive drugs?

Back 29

chemicals that affect mental processes and behavior by their effects on the nervous system (neurotransmitters)
- hallucinogens, opiates, depressants, stimulants

Front 30

What do hallucinogens do and what types are there?

Back 30

alter perceptions of the external environment and inner awareness (also called psychodelics)
- mescaline (natural)
- lsd (synthetic/natural)
- pcp (synthetic)
* risk for tolerance and dependence = very low

Front 31

What do opiates do and what types are there?

Back 31

(narcotics)
produce a sense of well-being and have strong pain-relieving properties; highly addictive; agonist for endorphins
- morphine (injected)
- codeine (injected)
- heroin (injected)
- methadone (used to treat heroin addicts)

Front 32

What do depressants do and what types are there?

Back 32

slow down mental and physical activity by inhibiting transmission of nerve impulses in the CNS
- barbiturates (sedatives - sleeping pills, for insomnia, reduce REM sleep)
- benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety drugs)
- alcohol

Front 33

What do stimulants do and what types are there?

Back 33

arouse the CNS, speed up mental and physical responses
- cocaine (stimulates your dopamine)
- amphetamines
- methamphetamines
- MDMA (ecstasy)
- caffeine (legal)
- nicotine (legal, more death incidents)

Front 34

What is tolerance?

Back 34

reduced effectiveness with repeated use of a drug

Front 35

What is physical dependence (addiction)?

Back 35

process in which the body adjusts to and needs to continue to take a drug to avoid withdrawal illness

Front 36

What is psychological dependence?

Back 36

craving or hungering for a drug and its effects even though they are not physically dependent

Front 37

What is addiction?

Back 37

continued use of a drug