Psy 121 Chapter 4

consciousness

awareness of everything that is going around you and inside your own head at any given moment, which you use to organize your behavior...including your thoughts, sensations, and feelings

waking consciousness

state in which thoughts, feelings, and sensations are clear, organized, and the person feels alert

altered state of consciousness

state in which there is a shift in the quality or pattern of mental activity as compared to waking consciousness

circadian rhythm

the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle

suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

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

REM sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active.

non-REM sleep

a quiet or deep sleep state characterized by the absence of motor activity or eye movements and more regular, slow brain waves, breathing, and heart rate

beta waves

awake and alert; low amplitude, high frequency

alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, drowsy state; high frequency, low amplitude

theta waves

brain waves indicating the early stages of sleep; slower and larger waves in N1 and N2 stages of sleep

delta waves

the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep; higher amplitude, lower frequency, characteristic of N3 stage

N1

light sleep;
theta waves increase and alpha waves fade away;
if people are awakened at this point, they will probably not believe they were actually asleep

N2

sleep spindles;
body temperature continues to drop, heart rate slows, breathing becomes more shallow and irregular;
theta waves are predominant and if people are awakened then they will be aware they were asleep

N3

delta waves(the slowest and largest waves);
deepest stage of sleep;
growth hormones are released from the pituitary gland and reach their peak, the body is at its lowest level of functioning

nightmares

bad dreams that take place during REM sleep;

sleep terrors

a parasomnia characterized by scary dreams and increased autonomic nervous system activity; typically occurs during NREM sleep and therefore can be accompanied by movement

sleep walking

a parasomnia that occurs during NREM sleep in response to an abnormal transition from deep sleep (e.g. Stage N3) to REM or a lighter stage of sleep

insomnia

inability to sleep, stay asleep, or get a good quality of sleep

sleep apnea

a type of snoring that a person stops breathing for nearly 10 seconds or more; when breathing stops, there will be a sudden silence, followed shortly by gasping sound as a person struggles to get air in their lungs....causes heart problems

Narcolepsy

"sleep seizure"; the person may slip suddenly into REM sleep during the day (especially when the person experiences strong emotions)

activation-synthesis hypothesis

a dream is merely another kind of thinking that occurs when people sleep, as the higher centers of the cortex create a "story" to explain the cortical activation coming from the brain stem during REM

Hypnosis

a state of consciousness in which a person is especially susceptible to suggestion

Meditation

a series of mental exercises meant to refocus attention and achieve a trancelike state of consciousness

Psychoactive Drugs

refers to chemical substances that alter thinking, perception, memory, or consciousness

Physical Dependence

drugs that people can become physically dependent on cause the users body to crave the drug; after some period of time the body becomes unable to function normally without the drug and the person is said to be _________ or addicted...negative reinforcement

Tolerance

as the person continues to use the drug, larger and larger doses of the drug are needed to achieve the same initial effects of the drug

Withdrawl

deprived of the drug; depending on the drug, these symptoms can range from headaches, nausea, and irritability to severe pain, cramping, shaking, and dangerously elevated blood pressure

Psychological Dependence

the emotional or motivational symptoms associated with repeated drug use, such as intense cravings, inability to concentrate on other non-drug related activities, and/or feeling restless when not taking the drug

Stimulants

drugs that increase the functioning of the central nervous system (amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine, & caffeine)

Depressants

drugs that decrease the functioning of the nervous system (major/minor tranquilizers, alcohol, morphine, & heroin)

Hallucinogens

drugs that alter perceptions and may cause hallucinations and intense emotional mood swings (LSD & marijuana)

Narcotics

a category of drugs used medically in the management of pain

Heroin

a narcotic that activates specific opioid receptors that stimulate dopamine in the reward centers of the brain, causing feelings of intense pleasure

Marijuana

a drug containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); can produce altered sensations, feelings of well-being, and changes in cognition

change blindness

a form of selective inattention where large changes in the environment are overlooked resulting from a break in the visual field or lack of attention

cocktail party phenomenon

ability to selectively tune into particular messages while filtering out others in a crowded, noisy, or chaotic environment

continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

treatment for sleep apnea, which involves wearing a mask that uses air pressure to keep the airway open during sleep

dreams

the sequences of images, feelings, ideas, and impressions that occur during sleep

focused attention meditation

type of meditation that involves directing attention toward an object for the entire meditation session

latent content

the underlying meaning of a dream where the unconscious, repressed wishes, and drives of the dreamer are expressed

manifest content

the actual, remembered content of a dream, including the storyline, characters, and specific details

multi tasking

attention divided among two or more stimuli or activities

open monitoring meditation

type of meditation that involves nonjudgemental observation of all aspects of experience (e.g., thoughts, emotions, sounds)

parasomnias

abnormal behavioral, experiential, or physiological events that occur in conjunction with sleep

physiological dependence

process in which the body becomes physically dependent, or reliant, on the drug; typically involves tolerance and/or withdrawal

selective attention

a conscious focus on one stimulus or perception at a given time

selective inattention/inattentional blindness

environmental stimuli that are screened out or ignored while attention is selectively focused on something else

sleep

the daily, natural loss of consciousness controlled by the brain

sleep apnea

a sleep disorder involving regular interruptions of breathing during sleep

substance use disorder

a psychological disorder characterized by a pattern of drug use leading to distress or significant impairment in functioning