Psychology Chapter 5

Consciousness

Awareness of things outside and inside ourselves

Altered state of consciousness

A state of consciousness in which a person's sense of self or sense of the road changes

REM sleep

Sleep stage characterized by irregular breathing, increased blood pressure, and faster heart rate

Insomnia

The inability to sleep

Sleep apnea

Breathing interruption that occurs during sleep

Meditation

Method some people use to try to narrow their consciousness so that stresses of the outside world fade away

Biofeedback

A system that provides information about something happening in the body

Depressant

A drug that slows the activity of their nervous system

Stimulant

A drug that increases the activity of the nervous system

Addiction

After a person takes a drug for a while, the body craves it to feel normal

Euphoria

A feeling of great happiness or well-being

Detoxification

The removal of a harmful substance from the body

Nonconscious

Level at which many basic biological functions occur, such as breathing

Selective attention

Focus on a particular stimulus

Construct

A concept, model, or schematic idea

Precounscious

Ideas that are not in your awareness now but can be recalled or remembered

Unconscious

A reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishing a, feelings, and memories of which we are unaware but which influences our behavior

Circadian rhythm

A regular sequence of biological processes, such as temperature and sleep, that occurs every 24 hours

Rapid- eye movement sleep

A stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements and linked to dreaming; also called REM sleep

Night terror

A sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and apparent terror; unlike nightmares, night terrors are seldom remembered

Narcolepsy

An uncommon sleep disorder characterized by brief attacks of REM sleep, often at in opportune moments

Hypnosis

A condition in which people appear to be highly suggestible and to behave as if they are in a trance

Posthypnotic suggestion

Instructions given to a person under hypnosis that are supposed to be carried out after the hypnosis session has ended

Narcotics

A type of drug that dulls the senses, relieves pain, and induces sleep; the term is usually reserved for those drugs derived from the opium poppy plant

Intoxication

A state of drunkenness characterized by impaired coordination and judgement

Amphetamines

A type of stimulant often used to stay awake or to reduce appetite

Hallucination

A false sensory perception that occurs in the absence of any actual stimulus

Delsuion

An erroneous belief, as of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany certain psychotic disorders

Hallucinogen

A psychedelic drug, such as LSD, that distorts perceptions and evokes sensory images in the absence of actual sensory input (causes hallucinations)

Direct inner awareness

Awareness of emotions, thoughts, memories, and images

Sensory awareness

Refers to biological functions that are never in awareness

Sleep

Common altered state of consciousness experienced by most people on a daily basis

Nicotine

Very common stimulant

Amphetamines

Stimulant

Cocaine

Stimulant derived from coca plant

Beta waves

We are awake and alert (waves that are short and quick)

Alpha waves

We become drowsy, and the brain waves slow

Delta waves

We fall asleep and stay asleep for 30-40 mins. We move into stages 3&4 of sleep

Theda waves

Slower than alpha waves; transition into light sleep