Psychology: Consciousness, Sleep, Stress & Coping

Consciousness

Being aware of what is happening inside and outside of you.

Id

Wants pleasure right now.

Ego

Makes realistic decisions.

Superego

Knows rules, morals, and right vs. wrong.

EEG

Measures brain activity.

EMG

Measures muscle activity.

EOG

Measures eye movements.

ECG

Measures heart activity.

REM sleep

Sleep stage connected with dreaming and specific brain activity.

Sleep deprivation

Not getting enough sleep.

REM rebound

Getting extra REM sleep after losing REM sleep.

Insomnia

Difficulty sleeping.

Narcolepsy

Sudden sleepiness or rapid sleep onset.

Sleep apnea

Difficulty breathing during sleep.

Somnambulism

Sleepwalking.

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD)

Acting out dreams during REM sleep.

Biological rhythm

A regular pattern of changes in the body.

Circadian rhythm

A biological cycle of about 24 hours.

Melatonin

Hormone involved in regulating sleep.

Wish fulfillment

Dreams satisfy unmet wishes or needs.

Problem solving

Dreams may help work through problems.

Activation-synthesis

The brain creates dreams to make sense of neural activity.

Threat simulation

Dreams may help practice dealing with threats.

Hypnosis

A heightened state of suggestibility.

Role-playing theory

Hypnosis effects can come from expectations about hypnosis.

Altered-state theory

Hypnosis is a real altered state of consciousness.

Dissociation

Mental processes split into separate streams of awareness.

Meditation

Practices that train attention and awareness.

Focused attention

Focusing on one thing.

Open monitoring

Observing thoughts and experiences without focusing on just one thing.

Psychoactive drugs

Substances that change mental, emotional, or behavioral functioning.

Narcotics/opiates

Drugs derived from opium that can relieve pain.

Sedatives

Drugs that slow down brain/body activity and can cause sleep.

Stimulants

Drugs that increase brain/body activity.

Hallucinogens

Drugs that can distort sensory experiences.

Tolerance

Needing more of a drug or getting less effect from continued use.

Physical dependence

Needing a drug to avoid withdrawal.

Psychological dependence

Strong mental/emotional craving for a drug.

Stress

Something that threatens or seems to threaten your well-being.

Primary appraisal

Deciding if something is stressful.

Secondary appraisal

Deciding how you can handle the stress.

Frustration

Wanting a goal but being blocked from reaching it.

Internal conflict

Two or more choices/motivations compete.

Change

A major change that requires adjustment.

Pressure

Demands or expectations to behave a certain way.

Approach-approach

Choosing between two good things.

Avoidance-avoidance

Choosing between two bad things.

Approach-avoidance

One choice has both good and bad parts.

Yerkes-Dodson law

Performance improves with arousal up to a point, then too much arousal hurts performance.

General Adaptation Syndrome

The body's response to stress.

Disease of adaptation

Health problems caused by prolonged stress responses.

Coping

Ways of dealing with stress.

Adaptive coping

Healthy/helpful ways of dealing with stress.

Maladaptive coping

Unhealthy/unhelpful ways of dealing with stress.

Aggression

Behavior intended to hurt someone.

Catharsis

Release of emotional tension.

Defense mechanisms

Unconscious ways of protecting yourself from unpleasant emotions.

Biopsychosocial model

Health is affected by biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

Immune response

The body's defense against harmful substances.

Social support

Help and support from other people.

Optimism

Expecting good outcomes.

Conscientiousness

Being thoughtful, controlled, and goal-directed.

Resilience

Ability to adapt and recover from stress.