AP psych unit 5: States of Consciousness

consciousness

refers to different levels of awareness of one’s thoughts and feelings.  It may include creating images in one’s mind, following one’s thought process, or having unique emotional experiences

continuum of consciousness

refers to a wide range of experiences ranging from being acutely aware and alert to being totally unaware

construct

a concept that requires a belief in something that cannot be seen or touched but according to evidence, actually is present.

controlled processes

activities that require full awareness, alertness and concentration to reach a goal.

examples of a controlled process

driving a car in bad weather, parking

automatic processes

activities that require little awareness, take minimal attention, and do not interfere with other ongoing activities

examples of automatic processes

driving a car on the highway (highway hypnosis), driving home

altered states

results from using any number of procedure (such as meditation, psychoactive drugs (coffee), hypnosis or sleep deprivation) to produce an awareness that differs from normal consciousness

psychoactive drugs are

ANY drugs that alter your sleep

psychoactive drugs cause us to

perceive our environment and world differently than we normally would

sleep

consists of five different stages that involve different levels of physiological arousal 

the deepest state of sleep borders on being

unconsciousness

dreaming

a unique state of consciousness in which we are asleep but experience a variety of astonishing casual, auditory, and tactile images 

hypnosis

A procedure in which the practitioner suggests changes in the sensations, perceptions, thoughts, feelings or behavior of the subject that typically produces a heightened state of suggestibility

Franz Anton Mesmer

“mesmerized”

the forerunner of hypnosis

can anyone be hypnotized?

no, only some people are highly hypnotizable

postural sway

body movement

hypnotic ability is…

absorbed

does hypnosis increase accuracy of memories?

NO

• can help to jog memories but pseudo memories and errors often occur

does hypnosis allow you to relive events?

NO

the people who report feeling like a child again were accepting their role

Is hypnosis effective for stress and pain relief?

YES

Is hypnosis effective for relieving bad habits?

hypnosis is not so effective for this

dissociation

a split in consciousness in which one part of the mind operates independently of others 

example of dissociation

driving a car and daydreaming (highway hypnosis)

Ernest Hilgard

He became famous in the 1950s for his research on hypnosis, especially with regard to pain control.

• Hidden observer– watches but does not participate

hidden observer

watches but does not participate; hypnotized part of the brain remains unaware of the observer

• parts of the brain are working independently and not actively communicating with each other

social influence theory

results from the social influence of the hypnotist and the person willing to accept a role where they will submit to the suggestions of the social figure- not just faking it 

how social influence theory works

Effects of hypnosis result from interaction between social influence of the hypnotist (socio) and the abilities, beliefs and expectations of the subject (cognitive)

what is social influence theory similar to?

a good actor becoming their role

what can social influence theory explain

“alien abduction” and “past-life regression”

those that doubt social influence theory say

EEG patterns cannot be distinguished from their EEG patterns in normal waking states 

• some suggest it is dramatic role playing

• Can duplicate effects 

biological rhythm

a periodic, more or less regular fluctuation in a biological system; it may or may not have psychological implications

biological rhythm is controlled by

the biological clock

endogenous

generated from within rather than by external cues

exogenous

generated externally

• Ex: sunlight  

circadian rhythm (longest)

Occur about every 24 hours

• ex: The sleep-wake cycle 

infradian cycles (middle)

Occur less often than once a day

• Examples: birds migrating, bears hibernating

• Menstrual cycle 28 days 

ultradian rhythms (shortest)

Occurs more frequently than once a day, about every 90 min

• Not always 90 mins

• Examples: stomach contractions, hormone level, and different stages of sleep  

suprachiasmatic nucleus

teardrop- shaped cluster of cells in the hypothalamus that governs circadian rhythms 

where does the suprachiasmatic nucleus sit

right next to the optic nerve

why can blind people have desynchronized clocks

their biological clocks don’t reset everyday due to them not seeing sunlight

when is the best time to study

during circadian peaks

• 10am-12pm is the BEST time to take a hard subject

• Heart attacks (blood is stickier in the morning; more prone to clots), eating, natural childbirth, track and field records also occur during this

when is hand steadiness and balance best

early in the morning

when does childbirth and death happen

6am- early morning

metabolic lowpoint

analogy for meals

breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper

why we sleep

Originally psychologists thought we slept because our neurons disconnected from each other causing us to simply “drift off”

• In reality, we do not have complete answers as to what causes us to sleep

what is the control center of the 24 hour rhythm of sleep

the hypothalamus

what does the hypothalamus do for sleep

senses change in light and dark and sends neurological messages to your brain and body that put you to sleep 

sleep neurotrasmitter

melatonin

opposite of melatonin

cortisol

melatonin

produced by the pineal gland at night to put you to sleep

• sunlight tells your body to stop producing it in the morning

• regulates circadian rhythm

5 reasons to sleep

• 1. Sleep protects us– evolutionary theory

• 2. Sleep helps us recuperate– repairs brain tissue 

• 3. Sleeping to remember – helps rebuild our fading memories

• 4. Sleep feeds creative thinking

• 5. Sleep to growth-during deep sleep the pituitary gland releases a growth hormone 

consolidation

makes memories as permanent as they can be

what happens to the immune system when repairs don’t get done

it becomes compromised

Killer T-cells

white blood cells circulating the body looking to kill the things that are not supposed to be there

without them, we get sick

evolutionary influence

Animals with a need to graze and an inability to hide tend to sleep less than those that don’t graze and have the ability to seek protection

unihemispheric sleep

Sleeping with one half of their brain while the other is awake  

• ex: birds

how many stages of sleep are there

4 stages

how long does it take to pass through all the stages

90-100 minutes

what are the first 3 stages known as

NREM

nonrem

what is the 4th stage known as

REM

Stage 1 (transition stage)

between awake and asleep (NOT REALLY ASLEEP)

• It usually lasts between 1 and 5 minutes and occupies approximately 2-5% of a normal night sleep 

  • Eyes begin to roll slightly

what waves do stage 1 consist of

theta waves [high amplitude, low frequency (slow)]

• (think theta=thin)

hypnogogic jerk

feeling like you’re falling when you are falling asleep; spastic movement that wakes you up

Stage 2 (spend most of the night in this stage)

baseline of sleep

• This stage is part of the 90 minute cycle and occupies approximately 45-60% of sleep. (more than any other stage)

• Has “sleep spindles”

sleep spindles

random bursts of brain activity

stage 3 (deepest stage)

“Delta” sleep or “slow wave” sleep and may last 15-30 minutes 

• Think “delta= deep”

• most restorative sleep

why is stage 3 called “slow wave” sleep

brain activity slows down dramatically from “theta” rhythm of stage 2 to a much slower rhythm called “delta” and the height or amplitude of the waves increases dramatically

parasomnia actions

sleeptalking, sleepwalking, etc.

somnambulism

sleepwalking

what kind of sleep does a sleep deprived person crave

delta sleep

how much sleep does delta occupy in children

up to 40% of all sleep time and this is what makes children such deep sleepers (“dead asleep”) during most if the night

what does REM stand for

rapid eye movement

another word for REM

paradoxical sleep

brain waves during REM sleep

look extremely similar to those of a wide awake person

how much time asleep do we spend in REM

20-25% of a normal night's sleep

vivid dreams occur during

REM

after REM which stage do you go back to

stage 2

Delta and REM are

inverses of each other

how long into sleep is your first dream

90 minutes

necessary repairs takes place

in the first 3 hours of sleep

how many hours of sleep do babies need

16 hours

• half is spent in REM because they have no prior memories; everything is new and needs to be consolidated

effects of sleep loss

• Fatigue 

• Impaired concentration

• Depressed immune system

• Greater vulnerability to accidents

leptin

hormone that makes us feel satisfied (full) when we are eating

grehlin

hormone that makes us hungry; reduces leptin

dreams as unconscious wishes (Freud)

dreams are the “royal road” to the unconscious

• Freud concluded that dreams provide insight into our unconscious desires (wish fulfillment) (psychodynamic theory)

  • Oral fixation- getting addicted to pacifier 

• To understand a dream, we must distinguish manifest content from latent content 

• Not everything in a dream is symbolic 

  • “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar” 

manifest content

aspects of the dream we consciously experience

latent content

includes unconscious wishes and thoughts symbolized in the dream

• _____= hidden

problem-focused approach (Rosalind Cartwright)

Dreams may reflect ongoing conscious issues such as concerns over relationships, work, sex or health 

• ex: test anxiety dreams

difference between cartwright and freud

• Freud- unconscious 

  • Symbols and metaphors hide the story 

• Cartwright- conscious

  • Still symbols and metaphors but they tell the story 

dreams as a by-product of mental housekeeping

Unnecessary neural connections in the brain are eliminated and important ones are strengthened 

• The brain divides new information into “wanted” and “unwanted” 

owen fogul (bonus)

Danny K’s neighbor when he was growing up. They were playing baseball and Danny K wouldn't let him play. Tried to punch Danny K and just punched himself in the nose. Then goes and gets his mommy, who forced them to let him play. He had two pugs, one named Charlie. Dug up his backyard to try to make a baseball diamond.

If Owen Fogul pops up in a dream, Danny K may have seen something that reminded him of Owen during the day (baseball field or pug)

dreams as interpreted brain activity (Allan Hobson)

activation synthesis

• Dreaming results from the cortical synthesis and interpretation of neural signals triggered by activity in the lower part of the brain 

  • Somatosensory cortex 

• At the same time, brain regions that handle logical thought and sensation from the external world shut down

• Dream about running and falling- amygdala (running away from something- fear) and cerebellum (balance and movement)

hypnosis

SUGGESTABLE

psychoactive drug

A chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood

• chemicals that affect mental processes and behavior by their effects on the nervous system

physical dependence

physical need for a drug

• Marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms

  • Ex. Caffeine (feeling drowsy without it one morning)

psychological dependence

A psychological need to use a drug

• Caused by neuroadaptation 

• ex: relieving negative emotions with marijuana

difference between physical and psychological

• Physical dependence is when your body is dependent on it because it becomes used to it

• psychological is when you believe you need the drug due to neuroadaptation

you can have BOTH

a physical and psychological dependence

what can happen from withdrawals

you can die