Week 4 States of Conciousness

Consciousness

Awareness or deliberate perception of stimuli, including oneself, bodily sensations, thoughts, and environment.

High Awareness

Effortful attention and careful decision-making, allowing individuals to identify and correct biases.

Low Awareness

Brain processes sensory information and cues without conscious perception, leading to susceptibility to biasing influences.

Cocktail Party Effect

Focusing on a single conversation in a noisy environment while ignoring other stimuli.

Subliminal Influence

Influence of stimuli on behavior or thoughts without conscious awareness (e.g., subliminal stimuli).

Priming

Activation of thoughts or feelings, making them easier to think and act upon.

Mindfulness

Heightened focus on thoughts and their controlled evaluation.

Flexible Correction Model

Ability to correct or change biased beliefs and evaluations.

Hypnosis

State of consciousness with heightened responsiveness to suggestions and focused attention on a single stimulus.

Hypnotherapy

Use of hypnotic techniques for desirable changes like lower pain or quitting smoking.

Dissociation

Disconnect between environmental awareness and focal attention.

Trance States

Dissociation and less voluntary behavioral control, often in religious ceremonies.

Sleep

Unique consciousness state, active brain without full awareness, following a circadian rhythm.

Circadian Rhythm

Physiological sleep-wake cycle influenced by light exposure, activity, and daily schedule.

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)

Percentage of alcohol in a person’s blood, determining intoxication levels.

Hallucinogens

Substances that alter perceptions, creating hallucinations or distorting time.

Depressants

Drugs that slow physiological and mental processes.

Stimulants

Drugs that speed up physiological and mental processes.

Implicit Associations Test (IAT)

Test measuring automatic associations with concepts, revealing implicit preferences or biases.

Sensation

Ability to detect physical stimuli from the environment.

Perception

Process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.

Sleep Stages

Distinct phases of sleep, primarily NREM and REM.

NREM Sleep

Non-rapid eye movement sleep, comprising several stages (N1, N2, N3) with reduced physiological activity and distinct brain wave patterns.

REM Sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep, characterized by high brain activity, vivid dreaming, muscle paralysis, and rapid eye movements.

Theta Waves

Brain waves (4-8 Hz) associated with the initial stages of sleep (N1) and relaxed wakefulness.

Delta Waves

Slowest brain waves (0.5-4 Hz) typically observed during deep sleep (N3), indicating restorative sleep.

Sleep Spindles

Brief bursts of brain activity (12-14 Hz) occurring during N2 sleep, thought to be involved in memory consolidation.

Melatonin

A hormone produced by the pineal gland that regulates sleep-wake cycles, increasing drowsiness and promoting sleep.

Jet Lag

A temporary sleep problem and fatigue resulting from disruption to the body's circadian rhythm due to rapid travel across multiple time zones.

Sleep Deprivation Effects

Negative consequences of insufficient sleep, including irritability, impaired cognitive function, and slower reaction times.

Euphoria

An intense feeling of pleasure, excitement, or happiness, often associated with the use of certain psychoactive substances.

Addiction Potential

The likelihood that a substance or behavior will lead to psychological or physical dependence and compulsive use.

Controlled Substances

Drugs whose possession, use, and distribution are regulated by law due to their potential for abuse and dependency.

Cognitive Bias

A systematic pattern of deviation from rationality in judgment, often influencing perceptions, memories, and decision-making.

Subliminal Stimuli

Sensory input that remains below the threshold of conscious perception but can still influence thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.