module 16-18 ; unit 3 ౨ৎ

ap psych

consciousness

the individual awareness of your unique thoughts, memories, feelings, sensations, and environments

circadian rhythm

our internal clock, controlling our temperature and wakefulness in 24-hour cycles

infradian rhythm

any periodic variation in physiological or psychological function

ultradian rhythm

biological rhythms that occur over a period shorter than 24 hours

superchiasmatic nucleus

A pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm

melatonin

hormone released by the pineal gland in response to daily cycles of light and dark to produce sleepiness

pineal gland

secretes serotonin by day and converts it to melatonin at night

adenosine

a compound in living cells consisting of an adenine molecule and a ribose sugar molecule

describe the stages of sleep in a night

wake, N1, N2, N3, and REM

effects of sleep deprivation

Depression, difficulty studying diminished productivity, mistakes, irritability, fatigue, fatter

REM sleep

vivid dreams occur, brain waves become rapid (beta waves), heart rate and breathing increase, and eye movements are rapid

alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

theta waves

pattern of brain activity during Stage 1 sleep; slower, lower-energy waves than alpha waves

hypnagogic sensations

Sensory phenomena, like visions and sounds, that a sleeper perceives in the transition between wakefulness and sleep

Stage 2 & sleep spindles

Bursts of neural activity take place in stage 2 of NREM sleep and may be important for memory consolidation

theory of sleep-restoration theory

allows for the body to repair and replete cellular components necessary for biological functions that become depleted throughout an awake day

theory of sleep-adaptive theory

an evolutionistic theory that states that animals and we have developed different sleep patterns in order to help us to survive in different environments

insomnia

a sleep disorder in which the affected person may not be able to fall asleep, and keeps waking up during the night

narcolepsy

uncontrollable sleep attacks, person randomly collapses into REM sleep

sleep apnea

another disorder that impacts our quality of sleep

night terrors

A sleep disorder that causes the sleeper to wake from NREM sleep suddenly with feelings of extreme fear, agitation, or dread

somnambulism

sleep walking

freud’s dream theory-wish fufillment

when wishes can't or won't be fulfilled in our waking lives, they are carried out in dreams

dream theory-information processing theory

While a person dreams, information learned during the day is transferred into their memories

dream theory-physiological functioning

dreams are a product of neural firing in the brain

dream theory-activation synthesis

dreams are just the brain's efforts to make sense out of meaningless patterns of firing in the brain as we sleep

dream theory-cognitive theory

view dreams as having important psychological functions, and work to help individuals solve their ongoing problems

REM rebound

compensatory increase of the frequency, depth, and intensity of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep following sleep deprivation or significant stressors

psychoactive drugs

substances that, when taken in or administered into one's system, affect mental processes, e.g. perception, consciousness, cognition or mood and emotions

tolerance versus withdrawal

withdrawal? The unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms that occur when a person abruptly stops taking a drug

tolerance? A state of progressively decreasing responsiveness to a frequently used drug

physical dependence versus psychological dependence

Physical dependence is when a person has a chemical need for the drug. Psychological dependence is when the person believes that they need the drug to feel good

depressants

one classification of drugs that reduce or slow our neural activity and body functions

opiate (morphine, heroine)

depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety as well

stimulants

excite neural activity and speed up body functions

hallucinogens

another classification of drugs that are known to distort perception and evoke sensory images without any actual sensory input