Consciousness, Sleep, and Learning: Psychology Key Concepts

Consciousness

Awareness of internal and external events.

Stream of consciousness

The continuous flow of thoughts.

Altered states of consciousness

Changes in awareness, e.g., sleep, meditation, drugs.

Circadian rhythms

24-hour biological cycles that regulate bodily functions.

Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

Controls circadian rhythms in the brain.

Difference between REM and NREM sleep

REM: dreaming, rapid eye movement, low muscle tone. NREM: restorative, non-dream sleep.

Sleep disorders

Insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, sleepwalking, night terrors.

Freud's dream theory

Manifest content = surface storyline, Latent content = hidden meaning.

Cognitive theory of dreaming

Dreams are a reflection of daily thinking.

Activation-synthesis theory

Dreams come from random brain activity.

Psychoactive drug

A substance that alters mood or behavior.

Tolerance

Needing more of a drug to achieve the same effect.

Physical vs. psychological dependence

Physical = body needs it; Psychological = mind craves it.

Addiction

Compulsive drug use despite harmful consequences.

Depressant

Alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers, opioids.

Stimulant

Caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA.

Hallucinogen

LSD, marijuana.

Learning

A permanent change in behavior due to experience.

Behaviorism

The view that psychology should study only observable behavior.

Associative learning

Learning by linking events together (classical + operant).

Observational learning

Learning by watching and imitating others.

Classical conditioning: NS

Neutral stimulus - no natural response.

Classical conditioning: UCS

Unconditioned stimulus - naturally triggers a response.

Classical conditioning: UCR

Unconditioned response - natural reaction.

Classical conditioning: CS

Conditioned stimulus - learned trigger.

Classical conditioning: CR

Conditioned response - learned reaction.

Little Albert study

Watson conditioned fear of a white rat using loud noises.

Thorndike's Law of Effect

Behaviors with good outcomes are more likely to be repeated.

Shaping in operant conditioning

Rewarding small steps toward a target behavior.

Positive vs. Negative reinforcement

Positive adds something good, Negative removes something bad.

Positive vs. Negative punishment

Positive adds something bad, Negative removes something good.

Continuous vs. partial reinforcement

Continuous = every response reinforced; Partial = sometimes.

Bandura's Bobo doll study

Children imitate aggressive behaviors they observe.

Four processes of observational learning

Attention, Retention, Motor reproduction, Reinforcement (ARRM).