Consciousness, Sleep, and Dreams Lecture Review

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on consciousness, sleep, and dreams.

What is a clear definition of consciousness?

Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.

What are some functions that consciousness allows us to perform?

Consciousness allows us to assemble information, reflect on our past, adapt to our present, plan for our future, and focus attention.

According to cognitive neuroscience, what is the origin of our conscious experience?

Our conscious experience arises from synchronized activity across the brain.

What happens to stimuli that activate brain activity but do not cross the threshold for conscious awareness?

The information is still processed, but we are not consciously aware of it.

Name three categories of different states of consciousness and give an example for each.

Spontaneously (e.g., daydreaming), Physiologically induced (e.g., hallucinations), and Psychologically induced (e.g., meditation).

What is selective attention?

Selective attention allows us to focus our conscious awareness on a particular stimulus, enabling us to process a limited amount of information from the vast amounts coming into our sensory receptors.

Describe the 'cocktail party phenomenon'.

It's an example of selective attention where you can focus on one conversation in a crowded room, making other sounds fade into a murmur.

What is inattentional blindness?

It is the failure to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.

What are the two levels at which we process information, often referred to as the 'high road' and 'low road'?

The conscious deliberate level (high road) and the unconscious automatic level (low road).

What is parallel processing and when is it typically used?

Parallel processing is unconscious, quick, and involves simultaneous brain activity, allowing us to handle routine tasks efficiently.

What is sequential processing and when is it most effective?

Sequential processing is conscious, step-by-step, and requires focused attention, making it most effective for solving new problems or unfamiliar situations.

True or False: Most people dream every night, even if they don't remember their dreams.

True.

What is the circadian rhythm?

It is our internal biological clock that roughly synchronizes with the 24-hour day-night cycle, influencing functions like body temperature and sleep-wake patterns.

How are circadian rhythms different for younger adults (e.g., 20-year-olds) compared to older adults?

20-year-olds' circadian rhythms tend to peak in the mid-to-late afternoon, while older adults tend to be at their peak earlier in the day.

What are hypnagogic sensations and during which sleep stage do they occur?

Hypnagogic sensations are sensory experiences resembling hallucinations, like the feeling of falling, and they are characteristic of NREM-1 (light sleep).

What are sleep spindles and during which sleep stage are they characteristic?

Sleep spindles are bursts of rapid rhythmic brainwave activity, thought to be related to memory consolidation, and are characteristic of NREM-2 sleep.

What characterizes NREM-3 sleep and what is its primary function?

It is deep sleep characterized by large, slow delta waves, and it is considered restorative sleep, repairing the immune system and brain tissue.

Why is REM sleep sometimes called 'paradoxical sleep'?

It's called paradoxical sleep because the body is internally aroused (e.g., rapid heart rate, breathing, active brain cortex), but externally calm and essentially paralyzed.

What is the primary physical characteristic that gives REM sleep its name, and what happens to the body's muscles during this stage?

REM sleep is named for the rapid eye movements under the eyelids. During this stage, the brain stem blocks motor cortex messages, causing the postural muscles to be essentially paralyzed.

Name three theoretical reasons why humans sleep.

Sleep protects us, helps us recuperate and restore the immune system, and helps restore and rebuild memories of the day. (Other valid answers include: feeds creative thinking, supports growth).

List three negative effects of chronic sleep loss.

Chronic sleep loss can lead to irritability, anxiety, impaired concentration, increased risk of depression, weight gain, weakened immune system, and increased accidents.

How does sleep deprivation affect weight?

Sleep deprivation increases the hunger-arousing hormone ghrelin, decreases the hunger-suppressing hormone leptin, decreases the metabolic rate, and increases cortisol production, which causes fat storage.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is the persistent recurring problem of falling asleep or staying asleep.

What is narcolepsy?

Narcolepsy is characterized by sudden, uncontrollable sleep attacks, where individuals may lapse directly into REM sleep, sometimes triggered by strong emotions.

What is sleep apnea and a common treatment for it?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where a person repeatedly stops breathing during sleep; a common treatment is a CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure).

What are night terrors, and which sleep stage do they occur in?

Night terrors involve high arousal and an appearance of being terrified, occurring during NREM-3 (deep sleep), and individuals usually have no memory of them in the morning.

During which sleep stage do sleepwalking and sleep talking typically occur?

Sleepwalking and sleep talking typically occur during NREM-3 (deep sleep).

What are some general characteristics of dreams?

Dreams are usually vivid, emotional, and often bizarre, incorporating traces of the previous day's experiences and preoccupations, often involving anxiety or misfortune.

According to Freud, what is the purpose of dreams, and what are manifest and latent content?

Freud believed dreams satisfy our wishes and provide a psychic safety valve. Manifest content is the remembered storyline, while latent content is the censored symbolic meaning behind it.

How does the information-processing theory explain why we dream?

This theory suggests dreams help us sort out the day's events and consolidate our memories.

What does the activation-synthesis theory propose about dreams?

It proposes that dreams are the brain's attempt to synthesize random neural activity (neural static) into a coherent story.

How does the cognitive development theory explain dream content?

It suggests that dream content reflects the dreamer's level of cognitive development, knowledge, and understanding.