Psychology, Chapter 4 - Consciousness

consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

altered states of consciousness

altering cognition and emotion through the use of drugs or other means; forms of experience that depart from the normal subjective experience of the world and the mind

circadian rhythm

the biological clock; bodily rhythms that occur in 24 hour cycle (ex. sleep-wake cycle; body temp rises during day, peaks at noon, decreases at night)

sleep cycle

passage through the four stages of NREM sleep (I, II, III, IV), then reversal (IV, III, II), and finally, instead of reentering stage I and awakening, entering REM sleep and returning to stage II; a period of sleep lasting about 90 minutes and including one or more stages of NREM sleep, followed by REM sleep.

melatonin

a natural horomone made by body pineal gland; when the sun goes down and darkness occurs the pineal gland is turned on by the SCN and begins actively to produce this

REM sleep

rapid eye movement sleep; starts out small, then gets longer as night progresses; sleep stage in which vivid dreams occur; paradoxical sleep; body does not move

Non-REM sleep

Sleep stages 1 through 4, which are marked by an absence of rapid eye movements, relatively little dreaming, and varied EEG activity.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

alpha waves

little, slow brain waves of relaxed, Awake state

delta waves

large, slow brain waves associated with Deep sleep

beta waves

High frequency and low amplitude; indicates awake, active and alert state or REM sleep.

theta waves

Light sleep (STAGE 1)

hallucinations

false sensory experiences that occur without sensory stimulus; usually happen in Stage 1 sleep (ex. feeling of falling, feeling of floating)

hypnagogic images/hallucinations

Vivid mental images that may occur just as one enters stage 1 sleep; false sensory experiences that occur without sensory stimulus; usually happen in Stage 1 sleep (ex. feeling of falling, feeling of floating)

insomnia

Difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep

narcolepsy

a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks; patient lapses directly into REM sleep

sleep apnea

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and waking up because of it; happens often in overweight men

CPAP

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine used to help those with sleep apnea

night terrors

a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and terrified appearance; unlike nightmares, they occur in Stage 4 sleep;

nightmares

Anxiety-arousing dreams that lead to awakening, usually from REM sleep.

dream

sequence of images, emotions, thoughts in the mind of sleeping person; contain hallucinatory imagery, incongruities; hard to remember; occur during REM sleep

activation-synthesis theory

Neural activity is random and dream's are the brains attempt to make sense of it.

Restorative theory

theory of sleep proposing that sleep is necessary to the physical health of the body and serves to replenish chemicals and repair cellular damage

Adaptive theory

theory of sleep proposing that animals and humans evolved sleep patterns to avoid predators by sleeping when predators are most active

REM rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation

hypnosis

a social interaction in which one person (hypnotist)suggests perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors to the subject

psychoactive drug

A drug that alters behavior, thought, or perception by altering biochemical reactions in the nervous system, thereby affecting consciousness

tolerance

the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug; user must take larger amounts to experience same effect

withdrawal

the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing drug use

physical dependence

physiological need for a drug; unpleasant withdrawal symptoms

psychological dependence

psychological need for a drug to relieve sad/angry emotions

depressants

"downers" that DEPRESS, slow neural activity and body functions (ex. alcohol, barbiturates, opiates)

stimulants

"uppers" STIMULATE neural activity and body functions (ex. caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, cocaine)

hallucinogens

distort perceptions; evoke false sensory images (ex. LSD)

barbituates

tranquilizers; drugs that depress central nervous system; thus reducing anxiety by impairing judgments

opiates

opium and its derivatives; depress neural activity; lessen pain and anxiety; allow you to OPT out of PAIN (ex. morphine, heroin)

amphetamines

Drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes; dexedrine and benzedrine, also known as speed, are strong stimulants

ecstasy

also known as MDMA; synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen; produces euphoria, intimacy; harms serotonin neurons and cognition

LSD

lysergic acid diethylamide; acid; powerful hallucinogenic drug

cocaine

A stimulant drug derived from the coca tree.

reuptake

the natural process of a sending neuron reabsorbing excess neurotransmitters; cocaine blocks this

THC

delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol; active ingredient in marijuana; triggers mild hallucinations

near-death experience

an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death; similar to drug-induced hallucinations

Unconscious wish fulfillment theory

Sigmund Freud's theory that dreams represent unconscious wishes that dreamers desire to see fulfilled

Latent content of dreams

Hidden content; Freud's 'disguised' meanings of dreams, hidden by more obvious subjects

Manifest content of dreams

Actual content; Freud's theory that dream content has an apparent story line relevant to real life

somnambulism

sleepwalking; more common in children than adults

cataplexy

A sudden loss of voluntary muscle strength and control that is usually triggered by an intense emotion (as seen in narcolepsy)

Suprachiasmatic nucleas

controls circadian rhythms in the brain;

A cluster of neurons in the hypothalamus that receives input from the retina regarding light and dark cycles and is involved in regulating the biological clock

meditation

a learned technique for refocusing attention that brings about an altered state of consciousness

psychoactive drugs

drugs that influence a person's emotions, perceptions, and behavior

addictive drugs

drugs that produce a biological or psychological dependence

nicotine

a common stimulant in cigarettes

methamphetamine

a white, crystalline drug which is highly addictive, a strong stimulant

narcotics

drugs that increase relaxation and relieve pain and anxiety

hypnic jerk

A 'jerking' sensation where our body, or part of our body, seems to go into a spasm. This is a common occurrence during stage 1 sleep

sleep spindles

short bursts of brain waves detected in stage 2 sleep