Ch 4 Levels of Conciousness

Question 1

conciousness

Answer 1

awareness of one’s environment and mental processes, most early psychologists studied this

Question 2

William James definition of consciousness

Answer 2

1. always changing
2. personal experience
3. continuous
4. selective

Question 3

sleep

Answer 3

an altered state of conciousness

Question 4

electroencephalogram (EEG)

Answer 4

• best measure of brain activity
• measures electrical activity of brain

Question 5

electromyogram

Answer 5

• measures muscle tone, another indicator of sleep stages
• also used in sleep studies to help indicate sleep level

Question 6

stages of sleep (NREM)

Answer 6

Beta - awake and alert, and REM
Alpha - stage 1 sleep
Theta - transitional sleep
Delta - deep sleep

Question 7

Stage 1 sleep

Answer 7

• brief transitional stage usually lasting 5-10 mins
• predominantly alpha waves and theta waves towards the end
• very light sleep
• hypnotic state at the beginning of sleep and at the end when waking up
• hypnic jerk

Question 8

Stage 2 sleep

Answer 8

• characterized by brief higher frequency brain waves
• predominately theta waves
• sleep spindles
• K Complex (brain shutting out external stimuli)

Question 9

Stage 3 sleep

Answer 9

• 20% of EEG activity
• predominately delta waves
• very difficult to awaken
• internal functions slow down
• deep sleep
• more stage 3/4 at beginning of night, less as night goes on
• tossing and turning and sleepwalking occurs during this

Question 10

Stage 4 sleep

Answer 10

• more than 50% of EEG activity
• last stage of NREM sleep
• at end of stage, brain waves start to increase

Question 11

REM sleep

Answer 11

• beta waves
• caused by visual center of brain (occipital lobe) being active during dreaming
• adults typically spend 25% of sleep in REM, teens spend more
• increases as night goes on

Question 12

REM rebound

Answer 12

overabundance of REM occurs, usually following many nights of REM sleep reduction

Question 13

antonia

Answer 13

muscles are relaxed and body is paralyzed, prevents sleeper from acting out their dreams

Question 14

latent content

Answer 14

• unconscious drives and wishes that would be threatening if expressed directly
• dream is HIDDEN or unclear

Question 15

manifest content

Answer 15

obvious or known meaning of the dream

Question 16

information processing

Answer 16

brain sifts through events of the day and keeps what is needed and discards what is not

Question 17

physiological functioning

Answer 17

• REM occurs as a result of brain and body growth
• may explain why infants and children dream more than adults

Question 18

activation-synthesis

Answer 18

• random neutral firings occur during REM
• the brain is simply trying to make sense of these firings

Question 19

nightmares

Answer 19

• anxiety producing dreams that often lead to awakening
• “mare” is old English phrase meaning spirit or goblin

Question 20

night terrors

Answer 20

• aka incubus attacks or devil on your back
• abrupt awakening from dream or nightmare that occurs during NREM sleep
• panic, PTSD

Question 21

somnambulism (sleepwalking)

Answer 21

• occurs when a sleeping person arises and wanders about in deep NREM
• stage 3 or 4, motor cortex of brain is engaged
• talking in sleep also occurs

Question 22

insomnia

Answer 22

inability to fall asleep or stay asleep for the entire night

Question 23

onset insomnia

Answer 23

inability to fall asleep

Question 24

maintenance insomnia

Answer 24

inability to stay asleep

Question 25

termination insomnia

Answer 25

waking up early and not being able to fall back asleep

Question 26

pseudo insomnia

Answer 26

dreaming of being awake when you are asleep

Question 27

solutions for falling asleep

Answer 27

- sleeping pills/alcohol can make you sleepy but are addictive - use of sedatives NOT for long term use - melatonin is hormone found in body that can help - reduction of melatonin seen in people taking high doses of aspirin and ibuprofen - supplement can help

Question 28

narcolepsy

Answer 28

- feeling of extreme sleepiness which can occur at any time - genetic component

Question 29

cataplexy

Answer 29

- most common symptom of narcolepsy - sudden and extreme muscle weakness

Question 30

sleep apnea

Answer 30

- characterized by repeat awakenings through the night because you aren't able to breathe properly - breathing may be stopped for as long as a minute - airway is shut off - loud snoring is warning sign - can occur 300-400 times a night - CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) can help

Question 31

hypnosis

Answer 31

- an altered state of consciousness one enters voluntarily - increase in suggestibility - discovered by Franz Mesmer, used with his patients - able to access through thoughts and memories from the past - some are more hypnotizable than others (more intelligent and better daydreamers)

Question 32

suggestibility

Answer 32

- open to suggestions that a hypnotherapist may place in your subconscious - most often used in weight reduction, smoking, and phobias

Question 33

meditation

Answer 33

- self induced state of altered consciousness - mantras are often used to help focus one's attention and relax