Consciousness, Hypnosis, Sleep & Dreams

Vocabulary flashcards covering consciousness, hypnosis, sleep stages, theories of dreaming, and related concepts from the lecture notes.

Consciousness

A person's subjective experience of the world and the mind.

Hypnosis

Characterized by narrowed attention and heightened suggestibility.

Susceptibility to Hypnosis

People who have vivid, frequent fantasies, are high in absorption, more dependent on others, expect to be hypnotized, and are high in visual imagery tend to be more susceptible.

Superhuman Strength (Hypnosis)

Not an actual effect of hypnosis; subjects can be highly motivated but do not gain superhuman strength.

Age Regression (Hypnosis)

Not an actual effect of hypnosis; subjects show knowledge of recent events rather than truly regressing.

Improved Memory (Hypnosis)

Unclear effect; memory is sometimes enhanced, but sometimes produces false memories.

Pain Relief (Hypnosis)

An effective outcome of hypnosis, likely due to narrowed attention.

Sensory Changes (Hypnosis)

An effective outcome of hypnosis, including changes in temperature perception and sensory sensitivity.

Post-hypnotic Suggestion (Hypnosis)

Possibly effective for very small changes in behavior, but isolating the effects of hypnosis can be difficult.

Restorative Function of Sleep

One proposed reason why we sleep, suggesting sleep repairs and restores the body.

Evolutionary Function of Sleep

One proposed reason why we sleep, suggesting it served a survival purpose for ancient humans.

REM Sleep Function

One proposed reason for sleep, specifically referring to the function of Rapid Eye Movement sleep, though the overall answer for why we sleep is unclear.

Sleep Deprivation (Survival)

Answer to whether sleep is necessary for survival is probably yes, supported by animal studies.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation (1st sleepless night)

Little impairment.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation (2nd sleepless night)

Concentration deteriorates.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation (3rd sleepless night)

Microsleeps appear, and hallucinations may appear.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation (4th sleepless night)

Paranoia sets in; one good night's sleep repairs all damage.

Stages of Sleep

3 stages of NREM sleep (N1, N2, N3) and REM sleep, each with characteristic brain wave patterns.

Electroencephalagrams (EEGs)

Measures used to identify characteristic brain wave patterns during different stages of sleep.

EEG (Awake)

Characterized by specific brain wave patterns.

EEG (Stage 1 NREM / N1)

Characterized by Theta waves.

EEG (Stage 2 NREM / N2)

Characterized by Theta waves, Sleep spindles, and K-complexes.

EEG (Stage 3 NREM / N3)

Characterized by Delta waves.

EEG (REM)

Characterized by Theta waves.

Theta waves

Brain wave patterns observed during Stage 1 NREM (N1), Stage 2 NREM (N2), and REM sleep.

Sleep spindle

Brief bursts of brain activity observed during Stage 2 NREM (N2) sleep.

K-complex

Large, slow waves observed during Stage 2 NREM (N2) sleep.

Delta waves

Slow, high-amplitude brain waves observed during Stage 3 NREM (N3) sleep.

REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement sleep)

A sleep stage also called "paradoxical sleep," typically occurring for about 90 minutes per 8 hours of sleep, and where most dreaming occurs.

Paradoxical Sleep

Another name for REM sleep, due to the brain being highly active while the body is largely paralyzed.

Sigmund Freud's Theory of Dreaming

Proposed dreams are the "royal road to the unconscious" and distinguish between manifest and latent content.

Manifest Content

According to Freud, the remembered storyline of a dream.

Latent Content

According to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream, often symbolizing unconscious desires.

Activation-synthesis hypothesis

A theory of dreaming proposing that dreams result from random neural signals in the brain, which the mind then attempts to synthesize into a coherent story.

Discarding Mental Garbage Theory of Dreaming

A theory suggesting that dreaming helps to weed out irrelevant information from the mind; people tend to dream more after mentally challenging tasks.

REM Rebound Effect

When deprived of REM sleep, individuals tend to dream more on subsequent nights.

Meditation

A practice often described as "resting" for the mind, commonly studied for its psychological and physiological dependent variables (DVs).