Chapter 5: States of Consciousness

Who coined the term stream of consciousness?

William James

What is metacognition?

The process of thinking about thinking

Define consciousness

One’s awareness of external events and internal sensations under a condition of arousal

Define arousal

Physiological state of being engaged with the environment

What is the Theory of Mind?

One’s understanding that they and others think, feel, perceive, and have private experiences

What are the five levels of consciousness?

Higher-level consciousness, lower-level consciousness, altered states consciousness, subconscious awareness, and no awareness

What is higher-level processing?

Controlled processing that may require selective attention

Ex) doing math

What is lower-level consciousness?

Automatic processing that requires little attention

Ex) Daydreaming

What is subconscious awareness?

Awareness below the level of conscious thought but still affects our behavior

Ex) Dreaming

What is incubation?

Subconscious processing that happens during a break from consciously thinking about a problem

What is no awareness?

Freudian theory that there is a level of consciousness outside of awareness that we cannot access

What is altered-state consciousness?

Mental states noticeably different from one’s normal awareness

What is prosocial behavior? Give an example

Behavior that improves the well-being of others?

One’s first impulse being generosity, even though that is not the action they actually take

Which biological rhythm happens daily?

Circadian rhythm

What monitors biological rhythms?

The suprachiasmatic nucleus

Give an example of desynchronizing biological rhythms

Jet lag, insomnia

What are the theories for humans needing sleep?

Evolution because it keeps us safe at night and conserves energy

Restoration because it replenishes and restores and brain and body

Brain plasticity because it lets the long-term memory consolidate

What is harmful about sleep deprivation?

Makes sustained attention difficult

Decreases activity in thalamus and prefrontal cortex

Fatal familial insomnia

What are the stages of sleep?

Wakefulness, N-1, N-2, N-3, REM

What are beta waves?

Awake, alert; high frequency, low amplitude, dyssynchronous

What are alpha waves?

Awake, relaxed; lower frequency, higher amplitude, synchronous

What are theta waves?

N-1; Slow frequency, low amplitude but higher than alpha waves

What are sleep spindles?

N-2; Sudden increase in frequency

What are delta waves?

N-3; Slowest frequency, highest amplitude

Which waves is REM sleep similar to?

Alpha waves

How long is one sleep cycle? How many are there in a night?

90-100 minutes; usually 5 a night

Which sleep cycles take up 60% of sleep?

N1 and N2

Which sleep cycles each take up 20% of sleep?

N3 and REM

Are sleep cycles consistent through the night?

No, there are more N3 in the beginning and less REM at the beginning

Name the three neurotransmitters?

Serotonin, norepinephrine, acetycholine

What diseases are sleep problems common in?

Alzheimer’s, stroke, cancer

What is insomnia?

Problems falling and staying asleep

What is sleepwalking?

Doing things in your sleep that would usually only be done in wakefulness, like eating or talking

When do nightmares happen?

REM sleep

When do night terrors happen?

N3

What is narcolepsy?

The sudden urge to sleep in inappropriate situations, often from strong emotions

What is sleep apnea?

Breathing stops and starts several times during sleep

What was the psychodynamic explanation for dreams?

That they symbolized unconscious wishes

What is latent vs manifest content of dreams?

Psychodynamic theory

Manifest is the surface level of the dream

Latent is the “true meaning”

What is the cognitive explanation for dreams?

Dreaming happens to process information and solve problems

What is the Activation-Synthesis Theory?

The cerebral cortex neural signals generated by the lower part of the brain

What are the three subdivisions of drugs?

Hallucinogens, stimulants, depressants

What are the four steps of hypnosis?

Minimize distraction, concentrate on something specific, inform the person what to expect, and suggest feelings or events that will occur

What are the two views of hypnosis?

Divided consciousness: Hypnosis splits the consciousness into a section that observes and one that follows commands

Social Cognitive Behavior: Hypnosis is a normal state of being where someone behaves a certain way because they’ve been told they should