Chapter 5 Flashcards
(45 cards)
Define stream of consciousness
Term used by William James to describe the mind as a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts, and feelings.
What is consciousness
An individual’s awareness of external events and internal sensations under a condition of arousal, including awareness of the self and thoughts about one’s experiences.
What is arousal?
The physiological state of being engaged with the environment
What is the reticular activating system
A network of structures including the brain stem, medulla, and thalamus that are involved in the experience of arousal and engagement with the environment.
Define theory of mind
Individuals’ understanding that they and others think, feel, perceive, and have private experiences.
What is higher level consciousness
In controlled processes, The most alert states of human consciousness, during which individuals actively focus their efforts toward a goal.
Define executive function
Higher-order, complex cognitive processes, including thinking, planning, and problem solving.
What is lower level consciousness
Involve automatic processes which are States of consciousness that require little attention and do not interfere with other ongoing activities.
Altered states of consciousness
mental states that are different from normal awareness: hallucinating
What is unconscious thought according to freud
According to Freud, a reservoir of unacceptable wishes, feelings, and thoughts that are beyond conscious awareness.
What are biological rhythms
Periodic physiological fluctuations in the body, such as the rise and fall of hormones and accelerated and decelerated cycles of brain activity, that can influence behaviour.
What are circadian rhythms
Daily behavioural or physiological cycles that involve the sleep/wake cycle, body temperature, blood pressure, and blood sugar level.
what is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
A small brain structure that uses input from the retina to synchronize its own rhythm with the daily cycle of light and dark; the body’s way of monitoring the change from day to night.
What is stage W of falling asleep
W stands for wake, beta and alpha waves reflect concentration and alertness. Brain waves slow down which is associated with relaxation
Stage N1 sleep
Characterized by drowsy sleep, people experience sudden muscle movements (feeling of falling)
Stage N2 sleep
Muscle activity decreases, person is no longer consciously aware of the environment
Stage N3 sleep
Sleepers drift to wakefulness, enter stage R which is a different form of sleep called REM (rapid eye movement). Movement of the eyeballs
People most likely dream in the
R stage
How does REM sleep end
When there is a rise in serotonin and norepinephrine which increase the level of forebrain activity
What is manifest content
According to Freud, the surface content of a dream, containing dream symbols that disguise the dream’s true meaning.
What is latent content
According to Freud, a dream’s hidden content; its unconscious and true meaning.
cognitive theory of dreaming
Theory proposing that dreaming can be understood by applying the same cognitive concepts used to study the waking mind.
activation-synthesis theory of dreaming
Theory that dreaming occurs when the cerebral cortex synthesizes neural signals generated from activity in the lower part of the brain and that dreams result from the brain’s attempts to find logic in random brain activity that occurs during sleep.
psychoactive drugs
Drugs that act on the nervous system to alter consciousness, modify perception, and change mood.
