Chapter 4 – Consciousness & Its Alterations (Discovering Psychology 10e)

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms and definitions from Chapter 4 on consciousness, attention, sleep, dreams, hypnosis, meditation, and psychoactive drugs.

Consciousness

Personal awareness of mental activities, internal sensations, and the external environment.

Dualism (Descartes)

Philosophical view that mind and body are separate, with the body as a machine and the mind an immaterial entity in control.

Introspection

Early research method of looking inward to examine one’s own conscious experience; limited by subjectivity and immeasurability.

Freud’s Unconscious

Idea that many thoughts and drives operate below conscious awareness, compared to the unseen portion of an iceberg.

Cognitive Unconscious

Modern view of unexperienced mental processes that give rise to thoughts, choices, emotions, and behaviors.

Minimal Consciousness

A low-level awareness with rudimentary responsiveness to stimuli.

Full Consciousness

State of being fully aware and able to report one’s mental state.

Self-Consciousness

Attention directed toward oneself as an object; awareness of one’s own identity and traits.

Altered State of Consciousness

Condition in which the usual level of awareness is modified (e.g., by drugs, meditation, brain injury).

Unity (Property of Consciousness)

Integration of sensory information into a single, coherent experience.

Selectivity (Property of Consciousness)

Capacity of consciousness to focus on some stimuli and ignore others.

Intentionality (Property of Consciousness)

Quality of consciousness being directed toward something; it is about some object or task.

Transience (Property of Consciousness)

Tendency of conscious experience to change and drift from one topic to another.

Perceptual Constancy

Perception of objects as stable in size or shape despite changes in retinal image.

Inattentional Blindness

Failure to notice a fully visible, but unexpected object because attention is engaged elsewhere.

Change Blindness

Failure to detect changes in a visual scene when attention is not focused on the changing element.

Cocktail-Party Effect

Ability to focus on one conversation among many yet still notice personally relevant words in unattended channels.

Attention

Capacity to selectively concentrate awareness on particular stimuli or thoughts.

Multitasking

Attempting to divide attention among multiple tasks, often resulting in impaired performance.

Automatic Processing

Task performance that requires little or no conscious guidance (e.g., walking).

Controlled Processing

Task performance that demands focused, conscious attention (e.g., learning to drive).

Blindsight

Ability of people with cortical blindness to respond to visual stimuli without conscious visual experience.

Priming

Influence of earlier exposure on perception or behavior without conscious awareness.

Circadian Rhythm

Biological process that systematically varies over roughly 24 hours (e.g., sleep–wake cycle).

Melatonin

Hormone produced by the pineal gland that promotes sleep; suppressed by bright light.

Jet Lag

Desynchronization of circadian rhythms following trans-time-zone travel, impairing cognition and mood.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Graphic record of brain’s electrical activity used to study sleep stages.

REM Sleep

Rapid-eye-movement sleep marked by dreaming, active brain waves, and muscle paralysis.

NREM Sleep

Non-rapid-eye-movement sleep; quiet sleep divided into three stages.

Beta Waves

Fast brain-wave pattern associated with alert wakefulness.

Alpha Waves

Slower brain-wave pattern associated with relaxed wakefulness or drowsiness.

Theta Waves

Brain-wave pattern characteristic of light NREM sleep (Stage 1).

Delta Waves

Slow, high-amplitude brain waves of deep NREM sleep (Stage 3).

Hypnagogic Hallucination

Vivid sensory experience occurring at the onset of sleep, often accompanied by a myoclonic jerk.

Sleep Spindle

Brief burst of rapid brain activity occurring in Stage 2 NREM sleep.

K-Complex

Large, high-voltage EEG wave that occurs in Stage 2 NREM sleep, possibly aiding memory consolidation.

Sleep Cycle

Progression through NREM stages and REM sleep, averaging about 90 minutes.

REM Rebound

Extra time spent in REM after REM deprivation, indicating REM’s biological importance.

Microsleep

Very brief, uncontrollable episode of sleep during wakefulness, often caused by sleep deprivation.

Activation–Synthesis Model

Theory that dreaming results from the brain’s attempt to synthesize random neural activity originating in the brainstem.

Neurocognitive Model of Dreaming

View that dreams reflect waking concerns, personality, and interests in a similar thought-like manner.

Insomnia

Chronic difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or feeling rested, leading to daytime impairment.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Sleep disorder in which breathing stops repeatedly due to airway collapse, causing daytime sleepiness.

Narcolepsy

Disorder involving uncontrollable sleep attacks and possible cataplexy (loss of muscle control).

Parasomnia

Undesired arousal or actions during sleep (e.g., sleep terrors, sleepwalking).

Sleep Terrors

Abrupt awakenings from deep NREM sleep with intense fear and autonomic arousal.

Sleepwalking

Complex motor behavior during deep NREM sleep with no conscious awareness.

Sleep-Related Eating Disorder

Compulsive eating episodes during partial arousals from sleep.

Sexsomnia

Engaging in sexual behaviors during sleep without conscious awareness.

Exploding Head Syndrome

Parasomnia involving loud imagined noises or sensations at sleep onset or awakening.

Hypnosis

Cooperative social interaction in which a person responds to suggestions with altered perception, memory, or behavior.

Posthypnotic Suggestion

Instruction given during hypnosis that influences behavior after the session ends.

State Theory of Hypnosis

Explanation proposing hypnosis involves a dissociation or split in consciousness.

Social-Cognitive Theory of Hypnosis

View that hypnotic behaviors result from social expectations and role-playing, not an altered state.

Meditation

Set of practices using sustained attention to produce focused awareness and mental clarity.

Focused Attention Meditation

Meditative technique centering attention on a mantra, object, or breath.

Open Monitoring Meditation

Practice observing thoughts, sensations, and emotions in the present moment without judgment.

Psychoactive Drug

Chemical substance that alters arousal, mood, thinking, sensation, or perception.

Depressants

Drugs that inhibit or slow down central nervous system activity (e.g., alcohol).

Opioids

Pain-relieving, euphoria-producing drugs chemically similar to morphine; mimic endorphins.

Stimulants

Drugs that increase CNS activity, arouse behavior, and heighten alertness.

Psychedelics

Drugs that create perceptual distortions and alter thought and mood.

Drug Tolerance

Reduced response to a drug after repeated use, requiring higher doses for the same effect.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Unpleasant physical or psychological effects occurring when drug use is discontinued.

Drug Rebound Effect

Opposite, exaggerated symptoms that appear when a drug’s effect wears off.

Alcohol

Widely used depressant producing euphoria and lowered inhibitions; high doses impair motor and cognitive functions.

Barbiturates

Powerful sedatives that reduce anxiety and promote sleep by depressing CNS activity.

Tranquilizers (Benzodiazepines)

Less potent depressants used medically to treat anxiety.

Heroin

Illicit semisynthetic opioid producing intense euphoria and high addiction risk.

Methadone

Synthetic opioid used medically for pain relief and opioid-dependence treatment.

Caffeine

Stimulant in coffee and tea that blocks adenosine receptors, promoting alertness.

Nicotine

Highly addictive stimulant in tobacco that increases mental alertness and reduces fatigue.

Amphetamines

Synthetic stimulants (e.g., speed) that heighten alertness, elevate mood, and suppress appetite.

Methamphetamine

Potent, illicit amphetamine causing prolonged euphoria and severe brain damage with chronic use.

Cocaine

Stimulant derived from coca leaves; blocks dopamine reuptake producing intense but short-lived euphoria.

Mescaline

Psychedelic drug from peyote cactus inducing vivid sensory distortions.

Psilocybin

Psychedelic compound in “magic mushrooms” producing altered perception and mood.

LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)

Synthetic psychedelic that mimics serotonin, causing profound sensory distortions and possible flashbacks.

THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)

Active ingredient in marijuana producing mild psychedelic effects and pain relief.

Anandamide

Endogenous neurotransmitter that binds to cannabinoid receptors; mimicked by THC.

MDMA (Ecstasy)

Synthetic club drug with stimulant and mild psychedelic effects; increases serotonin release.

PCP (Phencyclidine)

Dissociative anesthetic causing detachment, hallucinations, and potential aggression.

Ketamine

Medical anesthetic and dissociative drug producing out-of-body sensations; potential antidepressant under study.

Stimulus Control Therapy

Behavioral treatment for insomnia associating bed and bedroom strictly with rapid sleep onset.