AP Psych States of Conciousness Vocab

circadian rythym

A biological cycle of bodily rhythm that occurs over a 24 hour period

hypnosis

A focused, trance-like mental state where a person is more open to suggestions, often to help with issues like anxiety, stress, or pain management

REM sleep

Rapid eye movement, also called paradoxical sleep, a person’s eyelids are moving under their eyes and their brain waves are active (they are typically dreaming)

stimulants

Drugs that speed up the body’s functions through increased energy, mental alertness, and forced wakefulness

conciousness

A person’s awareness of their existence, sensations, thoughts, and environment

insomnia

The temporary or chronic inability to fall asleep or stay asleep

psychoactive drugs

Intense chemical substances that alter perceptions, mood, behavior, and consciousness.

hallucinogens

Drugs that distort a person’s perception of reality

narcolepsy

A condition in which someone suddenly falls into REM sleep during waking hours (can be caused by excitement or low activity)

tolerance

A condition that occurs when someone uses a psychoactive drug for an extended period of time, causing the brain to produce less of the neurotransmitters that it stimulates

depressants

Drugs that lower neural activity and slow down body functioning

latent content

The true/hidden meaning of a dream

manifest content

The dream itself that is happening

sleep apnea

A condition where breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep (obstructive has throat muscles that decrease the esophagus opening, and complex syndrome has a lack of signals from the brain to the muscles that control breathing)

opiate

Drugs that reduce neurotransmission and temporarily lessen pain and anxiety (they reduce GABA and increase dopamine to create euphoria)

activation synthesis hypothesis

A biological theory that explains dreams, stating that they are created by the higher centers of the cortex to explain the brain stem/pons’s activation of cortical cells during REM sleep 

meditation

Mental practice of focusing one’s attention to achieve a calm state of mind (engaging in contemplation or reflection)

physical dependence

The body’s adaptation to continuous use of a substance (includes tolerance and withdrawal)

biofeedback

A tool that measures automatic bodily functions to gain information about them and hopefully control them

Sigmund Freud

The psychologist who created the psychoanalysis perspective and the idea of the unconscious mind

REM sleep behavior disorder

The body is not motionless ot paralyzed during REM sleep and physically acts out the dreams