Consciousness

Question 1

What is consciousness

Answer 1

Your awareness of everything that is going on around you and inside your head at any given moment.
Includes thoughts
sensations
feelings

Question 2

What is an altered state of consciousness

Answer 2

occurs when a shift takes place in the quantity or pattern of your mental activity

Question 3

different types of altered forms of consciousness

Answer 3

under the influence of drugs, daydreaming, hypnosis, meditation, sleep

Question 4

circadian rhythm

Answer 4

sleep-wake cycle controlled by the hypothalamus
deep in the hypothalamus lies a structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus
the SCN is sensitive to light and tells the pineal gland to release melatonin when its dark, and to stop releasing it when it gets light

Question 5

sleep deprivation

Answer 5

loss of sleep
decreases mental and physical functioning
associated with angina
depression
arthritis
sleep problems
and chronic lung disease

Question 6

Sleep Stages

Answer 6

Beta - alert
Alpha - relaxed
Theta - light sleep (N1)
Delta - deep sleep

Question 7

sleep stage 1: N1

Answer 7

Light sleep 
theta waves
hallucinations
hypnic jerk
falling sensation

Question 8

sleep stage 2: N2

Answer 8

Sleep spindles
body temp + heart rate drops
breathing = shallow + irregular
theta waves = predominant

Question 9

Sleep stage 3 and 4: N3

Answer 9

Delta waves - deep sleep
slowest and largest brain waves
growth hormones released
children spend more time in deep sleep for growth purposes

Question 10

REM

Answer 10

body temperature increases
heart beats faster
rapid eye movement
90% of dreaming takes place here
sleep paralysis

Question 11

purpose of REM + deep sleep

Answer 11

REM = process emotions

deep sleep = body recovery

Question 12

sleep disorders

Answer 12

Nightmares
night terrors
somnambulism
insomnia
sleep apnoea
narcolepsy

Question 13

Somnambulism

Answer 13

sleepwalking

occurs in N3 deep sleep

Question 14

Insomnia

Answer 14

symptoms - difficulty falling/staying asleep
causes - stress, anxiety, diet, behaviour
treatment - drug therapies

Question 15

Sleep Apnoea

Answer 15

occurs whe breathinng passages get blocked
loud snoring
breathing stops for nearly 10 seconds or more
disturbs sleep
causes heart problems
associated with obesity in men

Question 16

narcolepsy

Answer 16

a kind of sleep seizure

person slips into REM sleep throughout the day at inappropriate times or places

Question 17

Stimulants

Answer 17

amphetamines (speed, ritalin, meth)
cocaine
nicotine
caffeine

Question 18

effects of stimulants

Answer 18

stimulation

excitement

Question 19

effects of amphetamines

Answer 19

addiction
stroke
fatal heart problems
psychosis

Question 20

effects of cocaine

Answer 20

addiction
stroke
fatal heart problems
psychosis

Question 21

effects of nicotine

Answer 21

addiction

cancer

Question 22

effects of caffeine

Answer 22

addiction

high blood pressure

Question 23

depressants

Answer 23

barbituates (major tranquilisers)
benzodiazepines (minor tranquilisers)
alcohol
narcotics (opioids)

Question 24

effects of depressants

Answer 24

relaxation

Question 25

effects of barbituates

Answer 25

addiction brain damage death

Question 26

effects of benzodiazepines

Answer 26

low risk of overdose | addiction

Question 27

effects of alcohol

Answer 27

``` alcoholism health problems depression increased risk of accidents death ```

Question 28

effects of narcotics

Answer 28

euphoria addiction death

Question 29

hallucinogens

Answer 29

LSD PCP MDMA Marijuana

Question 30

effects of hallucinogens

Answer 30

``` possible permanent memory problems bad trips suicide overdose death ```

Question 31

psychoactive drugs

Answer 31

chemical substances that alter thinking, perception and memory could lead to dependence/overdose could pose a threat to health may lead to death

Question 32

physical dependence

Answer 32

causes drug user's body to crave the drug after the use of the drug for some time, the body becomes unable to function normally without the drug the person is then said to be addicted or dependent

Question 33

drug tolerance

Answer 33

a symptom of drug dependence as the person continues to take the drug, larger and larger doses of the drug are required to achieve the initial effects of the drug

Question 34

withdrawal

Answer 34

``` a symptom of physical dependence happens when the drug user is deprived of the drug symptoms: headaches nausea irritability severe pain cramping shaking elevated blood pressure negative reinforcement ```

Question 35

psychological dependence

Answer 35

the belief that the use of a certain drug is needed in order to achieve a certain level of emotional/psychological wellbeing positive reinforcement

Question 36

Freud's interpretation of dreams

Answer 36

believed dreams to be a sort of wish fulfilment of his clients believed dreams were symbolic meanings for innate desires

Question 37

biology of dreams

Answer 37

PET scans showed that dreams are products of activity in the pons this lower area of the brain inhibits neurotransmitters that cause movement this stops people from acting out their dreams

Question 38

the activation-synthesis hypothesis

Answer 38

dreaming is a kind of thinking that happens during sleep higher centres of the cortex make sense of this thinking by creating a story to explain the cortical activation coming from the brain stem

Question 39

the activation-information model (AIM)

Answer 39

the brain is making up a dream to explain its own activation

Question 40

hypnosis

Answer 40

a state of consciousness where a person is highly susceptible to suggestion

Question 41

what hypnosis can do

Answer 41

create amnesia for a brief time remove conscious attention from pain (relieve pain) alter sensory perceptions (hearing, smell, taste) help people relax in typically stressful situations