AP Psych Unit 9 - States of Consciousness

Consciousness

condition of being physically alert and cognitively aware in one’s self and environment

Unconscious

• Freud → emotional / cognitive unawareness

• Bio-medical → lowest level of physiological alertness / responsiveness

Altered State of Consciousness (ASC)

any change to one’s normal perceptual awareness and physical alertness

Jet Lag

fatigue and disorientation experienced by individuals after traveling across multiple time zones

• west → phase delays (easier adjustment)

• east → phase advances (more disruptive)

Sleep

the periodic, natural loss of consciousness

Larger animals have…

…lower metabolisms and therefore tend to require less sleep

Nocturnal animals

devote a disproportionate amount of their day to sleep compared to diurnal creatures

Reasons for NREM Sleep

• energy conservation

  • lowering body temp and blood and oxygen circulation while sleeping allows for more energy to be exerted when awake

• body restoration

  • allows for the body and brain time to physically recover and repair from the day

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

• the body’s biological clock

• regulates the pineal gland production and the release of melatonin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine

Pons

activated to adjust respiration and also controls the yawn reflex

Circadian Rhythm

repeatable biological and behavioral patterns that are synchronized to a 24 hour clock; sleep cycles have 2 phases: REM and NREM; stages are characterized by distinct biorhythmic changes

Unihemispherical Sleep

when some animals use only half of their brain to sleep only in NREM, while the other half is awake and moving

Stages of sleep

1. Hypnogogic stage

2. Stage 1

3. Stage 2

4. Stage 3

5. Stage 4

6. REM

Hypnogogic Stage

relaxed wakefulness

Stage 1 Sleep

Only lasts a few minutes; light sleep that one can be easily awakened from

Stage 2 Sleep

Entered after stage 1 and lasts for 10-25 minutes; distinct decrease in blood circulation

Stage 3 Sleep (Delta Sleep)

Entered after stage 2 and lasts 20-40 minutes; slowed respiration and decreased body temperature

Stage 4 Sleep (Deep Sleep)

Entered after stage 3 after ~1 hour

• the body becomes unresponsive to stimuli

• it is difficult to wake up

• satisfied at the beginning of night (2-3 cycles) and usually not entered in during morning hours

1 Complete Sleep Cycle

Stage 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 3 → 2 → 1 → REM

Dreams

a state of consciousness characterized by sensory, cognitive and emotional occurrences during sleep

Dream Memory

• dreams are initially recorded into sensory level storage

• Reticular Formation will usually filter and discard dream sensations within 2-4 seconds

Dreams are more likely to be remembered when

• waking during REM sleep

• when RF becomes aroused by danger detection or emotional significance

Hemispheral Lateralization

the brain’s right hemisphere becomes more active during REM sleep while the left hemisphere decreases in activity

REM Sleep (active / paradoxical sleep)

• biorhythmic recovery

• neural-cortical recovery

• brain activity resembles energy levels of conscious alertness

• # of these cycles increase by frequency and by length as the night progresses

• stage in sleep where we dream

Atonia

suppressed muscle tone and natural paralysis of voluntary motor control during sleep

Activation Synthesis Hypothesis

• biological explanation for dreams

• says that dreams are filtered by the RF and recycled by the Pons during sleep

• random discharges of bio-energies are absorbed into the cerebral cortex

• cerebral cortex attempts to interpret bioelectrical impulses by arranging and impromptu story sequences

Unconscious Information Processing

• says that REM is an extension of daytime cognition

• information / memory is encoded during conscious alertness but consolidated during REM

• dreams are perceptual reflectors of cognitive housekeeping

Lucid Dreams

dreams in which one becomes aware that they are dreaming and can take active roles to direct the course of the storyline

Dream Initiated Lucidity

• dreams that originate as a typical dreamscape

• reality checks allow realization for lucidity

Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreaming

• use of hypnotic techniques to induce a lucid dream from states of consciousness

• Hypnopompic Techniques

  • objective is to enter sleep cycle while maintaining conscious thought and self awareness as the mind wanders

  • hypnotic, meditative techniques

Freudian Interpretation of Dreams

• dreams are the voice of the psyche

• unconscious conflicts disguised with symbolism and metaphor

Manifest Content

compositions of symbolic imagery that distort and disguise the true meaning of a deram

Latent Content

the dream’s true, hidden meaning that is interpreted through psychoanalysis

Dyssomnia Disorders

abnormalities and general medical conditions related to the circadian sleep cycles

Insomnia Disorders

I) disorders associated with the inability to fall asleep

II) inability to stay asleep

Hypersomnolence Disorder

excessive drowsiness / chronic sleepiness that is not symptomatic with other physical issues; sleep episodes impair with social functioning

Transitional Sleep Disorder

abnormalities with transcending through sleep stages and cycles

Circadian Rhythmic Disorder

abnormalities that occur when circadian clocks are not synchronized to a 24-hour cycle of day and night

Narcolepsy

sudden onsets of sleep attacks; sleep hallucinations and paralysis are often included

Sleep Apnea

temporary stoppage of breathing from seconds to minutes; high BP, daytime fatigue, heart disease

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

throat muscles relax, blocking air passages

Sleep Related Hypoventilation

abnormally shallow breathing during sleep leading to insufficient oxygen intake

Central Sleep Apnea

brain signals to respiration system to stop during sleep

Cheyne-Stokes Sleep Breathing Disorder

repeated cycles of hyperventilation, apnea, then hypoventilation

Parasomnia Disorders

abnormal behaviors and/or cognitive perceptions during sleep, REM, and sleep transitions

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

rare disorder marked by a lack or reduction of REM atonia

Sleep Paralysis Disorder

• residual REM atonia that persists into wake-recovery

• consciousness is restored, but one is unable to move or speak

Sleep Hallucination Disorder

sensory illusions that occur or continue in hypnogogic states and wake recovery transitions; described as vivid and very real

Sleepwalking Disorder

nighttime wandering while asleep in stage 4

Restless Leg Syndrome

persistent sleep-time muscle spasms and cramps in the legs that cause physical discomfort and leads to chronic sleep interruptions

Nightmare Disorder

patterns of frequent, high anxiety dreams that typically occur in REM sleep; chronic bouts of vivid bad dreams

Night terror Disorder

repeated episodes of intense fear during sleep causing a person to abruptly wake up in a panic

Daydreaming

• mild form of ASC → 1/3 of waking day

• in hypnagogic state → physical and mental relaxation with eyes open

• mental wandering as a result of limited sensory and cognitive stimulation

• fanciful dream-like trance with vivid imagery

Meditation

• collective group of techniques designed to reduce physical and mental stress (mental focus causes relaxation)

• controls the brain’s tendency to wander

• produces a heightened state of concentration and awareness

• able to reduce sensitivity of physical and mental pain, stress, and anxiety

Hypnosis

• induced state of intense focus

• highly attentive but physically relaxed

• able to tune out other competing stimuli

• needs two people who both are consenting

• altered perceptions of reality in a trance-like state

  • convinced to see things that aren’t real

  • convinced to not see things that are real

Out of Body Experiences

• psychological phenomenon of becoming detached from one’s conscious / physical self

• compressed blood flow within occipital lobe

• decreased activity within parietal lobe

• neural short circuits within the angular gyrus

Alpha Waves

the relatively slow brainwaves of a relaxed, awake state

REM Rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation

Dissociation

a split in consciousness which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others

Psychoactive Drug

substances that cause changes in the normal activities of the central nervous system

4 Types of Psychoactive Drugs

1. Stimulants

2. Depressants

3. Narcotics

4. Hallucinogens

Depressants

drugs that reduce neural activity and slow bodily functions

Narcotics

pain relieving drugs that work by affecting certain receptors in the brain and dulling the sense of pain (opioids)

• common neurotransmitters → Endorphins & Dopamine

Stimulants

drugs that excite neural activity and speed up bodily functions

Hallucinogens

psychedelic drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input

• common neurotransmitters → serotonin & anandamide

• areas → RF / Thalamus, Nucleus Accumbens

Agonist

mimic neurotransmitters and therefore increase the effect of the neurotransmitter

Antagonist

drugs that decrease, block, or reduce the effects of a neurotransmitter

Mixing two depressants (like alcohol and barbiturates)…

…causes the respiratory system—diaphragm—to slow and relax causing suffocation

Designer Drugs

synthetically engineered drugs used for their psychoactive effects (Ecstasy, LSD, Meth)

GABA

the neurotransmitter that regulates behavioral inhibitions

Psychological Dependency

cravings for the intoxicating effects of chemical substances that lead to repeated abuse and continued consumption

Chemical Tolerance

when increased amounts of a chemical substance are required to elicit the same levels of intoxication the drug once produced in the past

Chemical Withdrawal

when the body experiences discomforting symptoms following the stoppage of a drug

Physical Addiction

an intense desire to use a drug, particularly for relieving mental stress and negative emotions

Barbiturates

drugs that depress central nervous system activity; reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement