AP Psych Unit 2 States of Consciousness

Flashcards reviewing key terms and concepts related to consciousness, sleep, dreams, and psychoactive drugs, based on lecture notes.

Consciousness

An awareness of ourselves and our environment. Example: Feeling awake and knowing you are in a classroom.

Hypnosis

A social interaction in which one person (the subject) responds to another person’s (the hypnotist’s) suggestions that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur. Example: Stage performers getting people to do silly things.

Posthypnotic

A suggestion, made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some clinicians to help control undesired symptoms and behaviors. Example: Telling someone to not be afraid of dogs when they see one after waking up from hypnosis.

Dissociation

A split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others. Example: Driving and not remembering what you did on the road.

Circadian

The biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle. Example: Feeling tired at the same time every night.

REM

Rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep state during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active. Example: Dreams that you can vividly remember upon waking.

Alpha

The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state. Example: Daydreaming

Sleep

Periodic, natural loss of consciousness – as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation. Example: The state that you are in when you are asleep.

Hallucinations

False sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus. Example: Seeing things as a result of sleep deprivation

Delta

The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep. Example: This brain wave occurs during NREM-3.

NREM

Non-rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages except for REM sleep. Example: Quiet, deep sleep.

Suprachiasmatic

A pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, the SCN causes the pineal gland to adjust melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness. Example: How blind people keep their sleep cycle.

Insomnia

Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep. Example: Tossing and turning at night

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times. Example: Randomly falling asleep in class.

Apnea

A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings. Example: When you get woken up due to snoring loudly.

Terrors

A sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during NREM-3 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered. Example: Waking up screaming and scared, but not remembering why.

Dream

A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. Dreams are notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities, and incongruities, and for the dreamer’s delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering it. Example: Flying through the sky in your sleep.

Manifest

According to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream (as distinct from its latent, or hidden, content). Example: Remembering you flew through the sky when you dream.

Latent

According to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream (as distinct from its manifest content). Example: Flying through the sky representing freedom.

Rebound

The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep). Example: Sleeping longer and dreaming more after not sleeping for a long time.

Substance

Continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk. Example: Drinking a lot of alcohol despite having liver problems.

Psychoactive

A chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods. Example: Drinking alcohol to change your mood.

Tolerance

The diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect. Example: The need to drink increasing amounts of alcohol to feel its effects.

Addiction

Compulsive craving of drugs or certain behaviors (such as gambling) despite known adverse consequences. Example: Knowing you will lose all your money gambling, but continuing to do it.

Withdrawal

The discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior. Example: Feeling sick when you stop drinking coffee.

Depressants

Drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions. Example: Alcohol.

Alcohol

(Popularly known as alcoholism). Alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use. Example: Continuing to drink despite getting DUIs.

Barbiturates

Drugs that depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment. Example: Prescription drugs that reduce anxiety.

Opiates

Opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety. Example: Drugs used to treat severe pain.

Stimulants

Drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful amphetamines, cocaine, and Ecstasy) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions. Example: Coffee.

Amphetamines

Drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes. Example: Adderall

Nicotine

A stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco. Example: Cigarettes.

Cocaine

A powerful and addictive stimulant, derived from the coca plant, producing temporarily increased alertness and euphoria. Example: A party drug.

Methamphetamine

A powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes; over time, appears to reduce baseline dopamine levels. Example: Crystal meth

Ecstasy

A synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short-term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition. Example: Molly

Hallucinogens

Psychedelic (“mind-manifesting”) drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input. Example: Shrooms.

LSD

A powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid (lysergic acid diethylamide). Example: A common drug at music festivals in the 1960s.

Near-Death

An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as by cardiac arrest); often similar to drug-induced hallucinations. Example: Seeing a bright light.

THC

The major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations. Example: What makes people feel good when smoking marijuana.