Psychology-Ch.5- Consciousness- Key terms

consciousness

the state of being aware of oneself, one's thoughts, and/or the environment.

Cognitive Psychology

the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

automatic processing

attending to information with littleor no conscious effort or awareness.

selective attention

tha ability to focus awareness on a small segment of information that is available through our sensory systems

circadian rhythm

The daily patterns roughly following the 24-hour cycle of daylight and darkness; 24-hour cycle of physiological and behavioral functioning.

beta waves

Brainwaves detected by an EEG that represent a state of fully alert wakefulness

alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

Non-rapid eye movement (NREM)

the non dreaming sleep that occurs during sleep stages 1 to 4

theta waves

brain waves that indicate light sleep

delta waves

the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep

rapid eye movement (REM)

stage of sleep in which the eyes move rapidly under the eyelids and the person is typically experiencing a dream

Narcolepsy

A neurological disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, which includes lapses into sleep and napping.

REM sleep behavior disorder

A sleep disturbance in which the mechanism responsible for paralyzing the body during REM sleep is not functioning, resulting in the acting out of dreams.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea

A serious disturbance of non-REM sleep characterized by complete absence of air flow (apnea) or reduced air flow (hypopnea).

insomnia

sleep disturbance characterized by an inability to fall asleep or stay asleep.

sleep terrors

A disturbance of non-REM sleep, generally occurring in children; characterized by screaming, staring fearfully, and usually no memory of the episode the following morning.

nightmares

frightening dreams that occur during REM sleep

REM rebound

an increase in the typical amount of REM sleep following reduction of REM sleep owing to sleep deprivation or the use of certain drugs that reduce REM sleep

manifest content

The apparent meaning of a dream; the remembered story line of a dream.

latent content

according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream

activation-synthesis model

the theory that dreams are produced when the brain attempts to make sense of random neural activity that occurs during sleep

psychoactive drugs

chemicals that affect the central nervous system and alter activity in the brain

depressants

a class of drugs that slow down the body's physiological and mental processes.

Barbiturates

drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment

Opiates

A class of psychoactive drugs that cause a sense of euphoria; a drug that imitates the endorphins naturally produced in the brain.

Stimulants

a class of drugs that speed up the body's physiological and mental processes.

Amphetamines

stimulant drugs that initially produce "rushes" of euphoria often followed by sudden "crashes" and, sometimes, severe depression

Hallucinogens

A group of psychoactive drugs that can produce hallucinations (auditory, visual, or kinesthetic), distorted sensory experiences, alterations of mood, and distorted thinking.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)

A synthetically produced, odorless, tasteless, and colorless hallucinogen that is very potent; produces extreme changes in sensations and perceptions.

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)

A synthetic drug chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline; produces a combination of stimulant and hallucinogenic effects.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

psychoactive substance in marijuana

physiological dependence

a condition in which the user has a chemical need for a drug

withdrawal

the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug

delirium tremens

a disorder involving sudden and severe mental changes or seizures caused by abruptly stopping the use of alcohol

Tolerance

the 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

psychological dependence

a psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions

Hypnosis

An altered state of consciousness or a psychological state of altered attention and expectation in which the individual is unusually receptive to suggestions.