ap psych states of consciousness

consciousness

awareness of ourselves and our environment

the consciousness lag

awareness of events and behaviors lags behind the response/unconsciousness

how does the unconscious mind process

processes info simultaneously

how does the conscious mind process

precesses info sequentially

annual cycles (bio rhythms)

seasonal variations in appetite, sleep, and mood

SAD- seasonal affective disorder, a mood experience which people can experience during dark winter months

28 day cycles

menstration cycle

24 hr cycle

circadian rhythms

humans expericne 24 hours of varying alertness, body temp, and growth hormone secretion

90 minute cycle

various stages of sleep

with each cycle complete, stage 3 sleep decreases and durating of REM increases

what triggers the suprachiasmatic nycleus to activate pineal gland for melatonin

light

decrease in melatonin: morning, wake

incrwase: evening, sleep

what brain waves do we have when we are awake and alert

beta waves

low amplitude, fast, and irregular

during string mental engagement

what brain waves do we have when we are awajke but relaxed

alpha waves

brain activity slows down to large amplitude and slow but regular waves

sleep stages 1-2

early light sleep

high amplitude, slow, regular waves, called theta waves

what can happen during stage 2 of sleep

sleep spindle

sleep stage 3

deepest sleep

brain activity slows down

large amplitude delta waves

rem sleep

low amplitude, fast and regular beta waves much like an awake-aroused state

rapid eye movement

most vivid dreaming

theories of why we sleep

protected out ancestors from harm, restores and repairs brain tissue, restores and rebuilds our fading memories, and it is when pit gland releases growth hormone

what happens when rem sleep is finished

after reaching this stage, the cycle starts to move backward to stage 1

if you talk, walk, or pee in your sleep, when are you most likely to do it

nrem 3

what happens to stage 3 and rem during each sleep cycle

time in stage 3 decreases

time in rem sleep increases

effects of sleep deprivation

fatigue

death

emotional irritability

impaired concentration

depressed immune system

greater vulnerability

insomnia

consistent lack of sleep and/or inability to maintain sleep

narcolepsy

uncontrolled bouts of falling asleep

sleep apnea

temp ceasing of breathing and micro wake ups that interupt sleeping cycles and deplete people of rem sleep

night terrors

nrem 3 and rem

extreme fright or dread

dreams

vivid hallucinations thar are often of regular, familar details in our life that we regret or relish

often incorporate our fears or daily activities

sensory experiences dueing sleep can be incorporated into dreams

what happens to our sensoryneurons during dreams

our sensory neurons remain intact so we can percieve threats

freudian theories on dreams

dreams provide a psychic safety valve to discharge unacceptable feelings

manifest content: what actually happens vs latent content": interpretation

why do we dream

information processing

• dreams can help sort our days experiences into memory

physiological function

• provide brain with periodic stimulation to develop and preserve neural pathways

activation synthesis theory

• dreams make sense of random neural activity

cognitive development

• brain maturation and cog development

hypnosis

a social interaction in which one person responds to another suggestion that certain perception or beahviors will occur

cannot recall forgotten memories

can help with behavioral and habit correction

social phonomena, or divided consciousness

modern uses of hypnosis

psychotherapy to determine desires in patients with psychosomatic disorders

behavioral therapy

pain control