AP REVIEW - Sleep & Genetic Psychology

Nature Vs Nurture

Debate on whether genetics (nature) or environment and upbringing (nurture) have a greater influence on human behavior and traits.

Behavior geneticists

Study the role played by our genes and our environment in mental ability, emotional stability, temperament, personality, interests, and so forth; they look at the causes of our individual differences.

Identical twins

Two individuals who share all of the same genes/heredity because they develop from the same fertilized egg or zygote; they are monozygotic twins.

Fraternal twins

Siblings that share about half of the same genes because they develop from two different fertilized eggs or zygotes; they are dizygotic twins.

Heritability

The proportion of variation among individuals in a population that is due to genetic causes. It ranges from 0 (no genetic influence) to 1 (completely genetic).

Gene

A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and determines some characteristic of the offspring.

Chromosome

Carry genetic information to new cells during reproduction. Normal human body cells have 46 chromosomes, except for eggs and sperms that have 23 chromosomes.

Turner syndrome

Genetic disorder affecting females with missing or incomplete X chromosome, leading to short stature, heart defects, and infertility. (XO)

Klinefelter’s syndrome

Genetic condition where males have an extra X chromosome (XXY), causing infertility, reduced testosterone, and potential learning disabilities.

Down syndrome

Genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. Associated with intellectual disability, characteristic facial features, and developmental delays.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism, representing the specific combination of alleles for a particular trait.

Phenotype

Refers to the observable physical characteristics of an organism resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment. (The expression of the genes).

Albinism

Genetic disorder characterized by a lack of melanin, resulting in pale skin, hair, and eyes. It can also cause vision problems and increased susceptibility to sun damage.

Huntington’s disease

Genetic disorder causing progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. Symptoms include involuntary movements, cognitive decline, and psychiatric issues.

Alzheimer’s disease

A progressive brain disorder causing memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes. It impairs daily functioning and has no cure.

Preconscious

The level of consciousness that is outside of awareness but contains feelings and memories that you can easily bring into conscious awareness.

Nonconscious

The level of consciousness devoted to processes completely inaccessible to conscious awareness, such as blood flow, filtering of blood by kidneys, secretion of hormones, and lower-level processing of sensations, such as detecting edges, estimating size and distance of objects, recognizing patterns, and so forth.

Unconscious

Sometimes called the subconscious, is the level of consciousness that includes often unacceptable feelings, wishes, and thoughts not directly available to conscious awareness.

Dual processing

The brain's ability to process information using both conscious, deliberate thinking (explicit processing) and unconscious, automatic processing (implicit processing).

Circadian rhythm

A natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. It's also known as your body’s clock — it influences when you fall asleep and wake up. Mainly responds to light and darkness in your environment.

Stage one of sleep

A light sleep phase where you drift in and out of sleep, lasting around 5-10 minutes. It's easy to wake up during this stage. Dominated by theta waves, hypnic jerks, hypnagogic hallucinations, light sleep

Hypnic jerks

involuntary muscle twitches that occur as you are falling asleep. They are also known as sleep starts or hypnagogic jerks.

Hypnagogic hallucinations

Vivid sensory experiences during the transition from wakefulness to sleep, often involving visual or auditory phenomena.

Stage two of sleep

Characterized by the presence of sleep spindles and K-complexes on an EEG, representing periods of light sleep before entering deeper sleep stages. More theta waves.

Sleep spindles

Bursts of brain activity visible on EEG during stage 2 NREM sleep, involved in memory consolidation and learning.

K-complexes

High-amplitude brain waves often seen during stage 2 of non-REM sleep. They help protect sleep by suppressing cortical arousal in response to external stimuli.

Stage three and four of sleep

Known as slow-wave sleep, characterized by deep, restorative sleep with slow brain waves. These stages are crucial for physical and mental restoration. Involve delta waves.

REM sleep

Stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements, increased brain activity, and vivid dreams. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active.

Consciousness

Awareness of ourselves and our environment; includes thoughts, sensations, and feelings.

Sleep apnea

A sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, leading to poor sleep quality and daytime fatigue.

Insomnia

Difficulty falling or staying asleep, leading to tiredness, mood disturbances, and difficulty concentrating during the day. It can be short-term or chronic.

Narcolepsy

A rare sleep disorder in which a person suddenly falls into REM sleep, regardless of what they are doing

Somnambulism

A sleep disorder characterized by walking or performing complex actions while asleep, also known as sleepwalking.

REM sleep disorder

A sleep disorder where individuals physically act out their dreams due to the lack of muscle paralysis during REM sleep.

Night terrors

A sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; occur during Stage 4 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered

Nightmares

Vivid and distressing dreams that occur during REM sleep, often causing fear, anxiety, or terror. They can disrupt sleep and lead to feelings of unease upon waking. Are remembered.

Information processing theory

A cognitive theory that explains how our brains process, store, and retrieve information like a computer. It involves encoding, storage, and retrieval processes. It basically says that dreams help us sort out the day's events and consolidate our memories

Activation-synthesis theory

A dream theory suggesting dreams are the brain's attempt to make sense of random neural activity during sleep. Says that dreams reflect inputs from brain activation originating in the pons, which the forebrain then attempts to weave into a story.

Freud’s dream theory

Dreams are a window to the unconscious mind, revealing repressed desires and emotions through manifest and latent content analysis. Dreams are carefully constructed and always contain a concealed meaning

Manifest content

The literal content of a dream as recalled by the dreamer. It is the surface-level storyline of the dream without deeper interpretation.

Latent content

Hidden, symbolic meaning within a dream, often representing unconscious thoughts and desires.

Psychoactive drugs

Chemicals that can pass through the blood-brain barrier into the brain to alter perception, thinking, behavior, and mood, producing a wide range of effects from mild relaxation or increased alertness to vivid hallucinations.

Tolerance

Increased responsivity to a drug

Withdrawal symptoms

Unpleasant physical or psychological effects that occur when a person stops using a substance they have become dependent on.

Depressants

Class of drugs that slow down the central nervous system, leading to relaxation, sedation, and reduced brain activity. Examples include alcohol, benzodiazepines, and opioids.

Narcotics

Drugs that induce sleep or dull the senses, often used for pain relief or recreationally. They can be addictive and have sedative effects.

Stimulants

Drugs that increase activity in the brain and body, leading to heightened alertness, attention, and energy levels. Examples include caffeine, nicotine, and amphetamines.

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter perception, thoughts, and feelings. They can cause hallucinations, intense emotions, and changes in time perception.

Gamma Waves

Brain waves with the highest frequency, associated with higher mental processes like problem-solving, learning, and memory consolidation.

Beta Waves

High-frequency brain waves associated with alertness, active thinking, and concentration. Typically present during waking hours and periods of focused mental activity.

Alpha Waves

Neural oscillations in the frequency range of 8-12 Hz, associated with a relaxed and calm mental state during wakefulness.

Theta Waves

Brain waves with a frequency of 4-7 Hz, occurring during deep relaxation or light sleep. Associated with creativity, problem-solving, and memory consolidation.

Delta Waves

Type of brain wave associated with deep sleep, characterized by high amplitude and slow frequency. Predominant in stages 3 and 4 of non-REM sleep.