Psychology Lecture Notes - Brain, Behaviour and Consciousness

Vocabulary flashcards covering brain structures, subcortex regions, forebrain functions, states of consciousness, sleep stages, hypnosis, meditation, and sensory deprivation from Chapter 2 and Chapter 5 lecture notes.

Association Areas

Combine and process information from the five senses

Aphasia

Speech disturbance resulting from brain damage

Broca's Area

Area related to language and speech production (pronunciation); if damaged, a person knows what s/he wants to say but can't say the words

Wernicke's Area

Area related to language comprehension; if damaged, a person has problems with meanings of words, NOT pronunciation

Agnosia

Inability to identify seen objects

Facial Agnosia

Inability to perceive familiar faces

Subcortex

All brain structures below the cerebral cortex

Hindbrain (Brainstem)

Brain region that includes cerebellum, medulla, pons, and reticular formation

Medulla

Connects brain with the spinal cord and controls vital life functions such as heart rate and breathing

Pons (Bridge)

Acts as a bridge between brainstem and other structures; influences sleep and arousal

Cerebellum

Located at base of brain; regulates posture, muscle tone, and muscular coordination, and stores memories related to skills and habits

Brainstem

Consists mainly of medulla and cerebellum

Reticular Formation (RF)

Structure inside medulla and brainstem associated with alertness, attention, and some reflexes (breathing, coughing, sneezing, vomiting)

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

Part of RF that keeps the cortex active and alert; acts as an alarm clock that activates and arouses cerebral cortex

Limbic System

System within forebrain closely linked to emotional response

Thalamus

Relays sensory information on the way to the cortex; acts as a switchboard

Hypothalamus

Regulates emotional behaviours and basic motives (e.g., sex, hunger, rage, hormone release, eating/drinking, sleep/waking, emotion)

Amygdala

Forebrain structure associated with fear responses

Hippocampus

Forebrain structure associated with storing permanent memories and helping us navigate through space

Consciousness

All the sensations, perceptions, memories, and feelings you are aware of in any instant

Waking Consciousness

Normal, clear, organized, alert awareness

Altered State of Consciousness (ASC)

Awareness that is distinctly different in quality or pattern from waking consciousness

Sleep

Innate, biological rhythm

Microsleep

Brief shift in brain-wave patterns similar to those during sleep

Sleep Deprivation

Sleep loss; being deprived of needed amounts of sleep

Sleep-Deprivation Psychosis

Confusion, disorientation, delusions, and hallucinations that occur because of sleep loss

Sleep Patterns

Daily rhythms of sleep and waking

Electroencephalograph (EEG)

Brain-wave machine; amplifies and records electrical activity in the brain

Beta Waves

Small fast waves associated with alertness and awakeness

Alpha Waves

Large, slow waves associated with relaxation and falling asleep

Stage 1 Sleep

Sleep stage characterized by small, irregular waves produced in light sleep (people may or may not say they were asleep)

Stage 2 Sleep

Deeper sleep stage where sleep spindles (bursts of distinctive brain-wave activity) appear

Stage 3 Sleep

Deeper sleep stage where Delta waves appear, which are very large and slow

Stage 4 Sleep

Deepest level of normal sleep; almost purely Delta waves

Rapid Eye Movements (REM)

Sleep state associated with dreaming where sleep is very light and the body is very still

REM Behavioural Disorder

Lack of muscle paralysis during REM sleep

Non-REM (NREM) Sleep

Sleep that occurs during stages 1, 2, 3, and 4; no rapid eye movement occurs and it seems to help us recover from daily fatigue

Waking Suggestibility

Hypnosis concept where people on stage do not want to spoil the act, so they will follow any instruction

Selection of Responsive Subjects

Stage hypnosis concept where any volunteer who does not get hypnotized in the stage group and does not follow instructions is voted off

The Hypnosis Label Disinhibits

On stage, once you are in a hypnotic trance, your responsibility for actions is removed so you can do whatever you want

Meditation

Mental exercise designed to focus attention and interrupt flow of thoughts, worries, and analyses; produces relaxation response and thus works to reduce stress

Concentrative Meditation

Type of meditation where attention is paid to a single focal point (i.e., object, thought, word, breathing etc.)

Mantra

Word(s) or sound(s) repeated silently during concentrative meditation

Receptive Meditation

Meditation based on widening attention span to become aware of everything experienced at a given moment

Sensory Deprivation

Any major reduction in amount or variety of sensory stimulation; offers benefits of sensory enhancement, relaxation, and changing habits