Chapter 5 States of Consciousness

Question 1

consciousness is

Answer 1

the awareness of internals and external stimuli

Question 2

stream of consciousness is

Answer 2

the idea that it’s continuously changing (William James 1902)

Question 3

mind wandering refers to

Answer 3

peoples’ experience of task-unrelated thoughts (thoughts that are not related to what they are intentionally trying to do at a given moment)

estimated that we spend 15-50 percent of our time mind wandering.

Question 4

controlled process is

Answer 4

judgement or thoughts that we exert some control over, that we intend to occur

Question 5

Automatic processing happens

Answer 5

without our intentional control (example of liking someone’s face better than another person because of subliminal smell stimuli experiment)

Question 6

Describe Dikusterhuis’ theory of unconscious thought

Answer 6

in some instances unconscious thought is better for decision making because you can only consider so many factors at one time

when deliberating with conscious thought.
the experiment was based around choosing a roommate

94 participants - 80 female, 14 male undergrad students

participants were given positive and negative attributes about the roommate and then either given time to mull it over consciously or engaged in another demanding task that didn’t allow them to consider the decision.

the unconscious thought made better choices

Question 7

electroencephalograph is a

Answer 7

device that monitors the electrical activity in the brain over time by means of recording electrodes attached to the surface of the scalp

spits out waves measured in amplitude (height) and frequency (cycles per second cps)

Question 8

Beta

Answer 8

13-24 cps Normal waking though, alert problem solving

Question 9

alpha

Answer 9

8-12 cps deep relaxation, blank mind, meditation

Question 10

theta

Answer 10

4-7 cps light sleep

Question 11

delta

Answer 11

under 4 cps deep sleep

Question 12

biological rhythms are

Answer 12

periodic fluctuations in physiological functioning seen in humans and other animals

Question 13

How many time cycles do we have?

Answer 13

four time cycles 1 year, 28 days, 24 hours and 90 minutes which exert a modest influence over our mental state

Question 14

circadian rhythms are

Answer 14

the 24 hr biological cycles found in humans and many other species (considerable influence over sleep and arousal )

Question 15

when cutoff from light, our rhythms drift towards a

Answer 15

25 hour cycle

Question 16

when would there be more circadian rhythm traffic accidents?

Answer 16

after spring ahead because you lose an hour of sleep

Question 17

electromyograph records

Answer 17

muscular activity

Question 18

electrooculograph records

Answer 18

eye movements

Question 19

Describe the four stages of non-REM sleep

Answer 19

stage 1 is a a brief transitional stage 1 - 7 minutes
breathing and heart rate slow
muscle tension and body temperature decline
brief muscular contractions called hypnic jerks occur as people fall asleep in this stage

stage 2 is 10 - 25 minutes
brief bursts of higher frequency brain waves called sleep spindles
waves become higher in amplitude and slower in frequency

stage 3 and 4 is known as slow wave sleep (sws) high amplitude and low frequency delta waves become prominent in EEG recordings
reach the stage in half an hour and stay there for 30 minutes then the sleeper moves back into the lighter stages of sleep (reverse cycle)
when sleeper gets back to what should be cycle 1, REM kicks in

Question 20

slow wave sleep (sws) is

Answer 20

high amplitude and low frequency delta waves become prominent in EEG recordings

Question 21

term REM was coined by

Answer 21

William Dement and discovered sort of by accident

Question 22

what brain waves are associated with REM

Answer 22

Beta

Question 23

do people dream in both REM and not REM?

Answer 23

people do dream in REM and non-REM states but REM ones tend to be more frequent, vivid, and memorable

When Dement woke people from RE< stage 78% of people recalled dreams whereas only 14% in NREM sleep

Question 24

REM sleep is

Answer 24

relatively deep stage of sleep marled by REM and high frequency, low amplitude brain waves and vivid dreaming

Question 25

Non-REM sleep consists of

Answer 25

sleep stages 1-4 marked by absence of REMs, relatively little dreaming, and varied EEG activity

Question 26

Describe how the sleep cycle evolves during the night

Answer 26

people usually repeat the sleep cycle 4 times in a night as the night wears on, the cycle changes gradually REM cycles get progressively longer starting at a few minutes and peaking at 40 - 60 minutes NREM stages get shorter and shallower but these things vary from person to person

Question 27

Describe age trends in patterns of sleep

Answer 27

babies have either REM or NREM sleep, they start by sleeping 6 - 8 times in a 24 hour cycle for a total of 16 hour and eventually they consolidate into a full night of sleep infants spend much more time in REM than adults with about 50% of their sleep in REM as opposed to 20% for adults towards the end of the 1st year, REM goes down to 30 then 20% as you get older slow wave sleep gets shorter and stage 1 gets longer and more for men, which is why older people wake more average sleep time for elderly also gets a lot lower and older people tolerate sleep deprivation with less impairment than younger counterparts but older people have more trouble adapting to circadian shifts

Question 28

Describe cultural variations in patterns of sleep

Answer 28

culture appears to have little impact on the physiology of sleep

Question 29

ascending reticular activation system (ARAS)

Answer 29

consists of the afferent fibres running through the reticular formation that influence physiological arousal

Question 30

which brain areas are linked to sleep

Answer 30

Pons, hypothalamus and medulla

Question 31

effects of complete and partial sleep deprivation

Answer 31

depends on amount of sleep lost and the nature of the task at hand trickiest to do long lasting, difficult or monotonous tasks with less than 5 hours for several nights in a row

Question 32

rebound effect

Answer 32

when you are deprived of a certain kind of sleep you then rebound and make up for it when you finally do have a normal night sleep

Question 33

memory consolidation

Answer 33

slow wave contributes to firming up of learning that happens during the day the 2 types of sleep NREM and REM promote different types of memory experiment where people were given training in a perceptual motor task then retested 12 hours later - the ones that slept showed substantial improvement over the ones that didn't sleep may foster creative insights the next morning related to previous day's learning

Question 34

Neurogenesis is the

Answer 34

formation of new neurons

Question 35

Describe the specific health effects of sleep loss

Answer 35

riggers hormonal imbalance that leads to overeating, obesity impaired immune, increased inflammatory response increased risk for diabetes, hypertension and cardio diseases people who sleep consistently less that 7 hours or much more have higher mortality rates

Question 36

insomnia refers to

Answer 36

the chronic problem of getting adequate sleep falling asleep (mainly a problem for younger people) staying asleep (this and next mainly older people) persistent early morning awakenings daytime fatigue, impaired functioning, elevated risk for accidents, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, etc... 35% of adults report it with 17% severe, increases with age

Question 37

narcolepsy is

Answer 37

a disease marked by sudden and irresistible onsets of sleep during normal waking periods - direct into REM (0.05% of population)

Question 38

Sleep Apnea

Answer 38

requent reflexive gasping for air that awakens a person (hundreds of times a night) and disrupts sleep (person stops breathing for 10 seconds minimum - accompanied by loud snoring) higher mortality rates

Question 39

Nightmares are

Answer 39

anxiety-arousing dreams that lead to awakening, usually from REM sleep

Question 40

fear extinction function

Answer 40

theory suggests that normal dreams serve as fear extinction function but nightmares have the reverse effect

Question 41

night terrors (sleep terrors)

Answer 41

abrupt awakenings from NREM sleep accompanied by intense autonomic arousal and feelings of panic usually occur during stage 4 early in the night typically let out a piercing cry, bolt upright and then stare into space mainly adults but especially aged 3 - 8 not indicative of emotional disturbances

Question 42

somnambulism

Answer 42

(sleepwalking) occurs when a person rises while sleeping occurs in slow wave within the 1st two hours of sleep 15 seconds to 30 minutes not linked to emotional disturbance, it's genetic but dangerous in process so best to wake them

Question 43

REM Sleep behaviour Disorder

Answer 43

potential troublesome dream enactments during REM sleep talk, gesture, yell, flail or leap out of bed during REM basically disables the function that paralyses you during REM

Question 44

what is day residue

Answer 44

contents of waking life spilled into dreams - Freud called it

Question 45

wish fulfillment theory

Answer 45

Freud sexually frustrated person may have erotic dreams but he acknowledged that true meanings are disguised so its not always as overt as that research has not provided much support for his theory

Question 46

problem solving view

Answer 46

Cartwright considerable continuity between dreams and waking and proponents believe in that dreams allow people to engage in creative thinking because dreams are not constrained by logic or realism critics say that just because you have similar content to waking life doesn't mean that you are coming up with solutions

Question 47

activation-synthesis model

Answer 47

Hobson/McCarley believe they are simply the bi-product of bursts in activity emanating from subcortical areas in the brain a function of neural activity critics say it doesn't account for NREM dreams and downplays more meaningful dreams NONE of the theories has been tested adequately mainly because dreams are too subjective for empirical testing

Question 48

historical development of hypnosis

Answer 48

Franz Mesmer made big claims 18th century Austrian Physician who claimed to heal people and turned out to be a hack term mesmerized comes from his name James Braid Scottish termed it hypnotism in 1843 borrowing from the greek word for sleep, but chemicals were proving to be stronger and they took off instead of hypnotism on the one hand, it has been studied a lot and used to good effect with empirically supported proof on the other hand, the field is filled with quacks and charlatans

Question 49

hypnosis is

Answer 49

a systematic procedure that typically produces a heightened state of suggestibility hypnotists suggest to the subject that they are relaxing told they are getting sleepy describe bodily sensations vividly such as arms going limp, feet getting warm, eyelids heavy

Question 50

Describe the variation of hypnotic susceptibility in the general population

Answer 50

10 - 20 % of population can't be hypnotized 10 - 15% are exceptionally good at being hypnotized another 15% are really good at it and flip between states without knowing it

Question 51

3 main reasons why people are susceptible to hypnosis

Answer 51

absorption - the capacity to reduce peripheral awareness and narrow the focus dissociation - the ability to separate aspects of perception, memory or identity from conscious awareness suggestibility - the tendency to accept directions and info relatively uncritically

Question 52

four prominent phenomena that can be induced through hypnosis

Answer 52

Anesthesia: can be used to deal with acute and chronic pain but unreliable Sensory distortions and hallucinations: led to experience auditory or visual hallucinations disinhibition: take off clothes, rob a bank, do nasty things, the theory suggests that people might believe that they are not responsible while int he state posthypnotic suggestions and amnesia: influence a subjects later behaviour - you will not remember anything from our session. but when pressed they do

Question 53

Describe Barber’s role-playing theory of hypnosis

Answer 53

it produces a normal state in which suggestible people act out the role of a hypnotic subject and behave as they think hypnotized people are supposed to not a trance-like state at all, more based on expectations based on debunking the idea that special feats could be accomplished only in a hypnotized state like human plank

Question 54

is hypnosis an altered state of consciousness?

Answer 54

brain imaging studies suggest that hypnotized participants experience change in brain activity that appear consistent with reports of hypnosis-induced hallucinations

Question 55

dissociation is

Answer 55

Hillgard a splitting off of mental processes into two separate simultaneous streams of awareness suggests that one stream communicates with the hypnotist while other is difficult to detect, hidden observer subject might appear to be unresponsive to pain because pain isn't registered int he portion of the brain that communicates with people likens it to divided consciousness such as driving on a highway and getting there without recollection of all the turns and traffic lights etc.. Hilgard proposes that hypnosis is a plausible variation in consciousness that has continuity with everyday experience

Question 56

Meditation refers to

Answer 56

a family of practices that train the attention to heighten awareness and bring mental processes under greater voluntary control focused attention (TM) focus on a object, image, sound or bodily sensation with the intention to narrow focus and clear mind of clutter open monitoring (mindfulness) direct attention to moment to moment experience in a non-judgmental way and non reactive way - detached observer

Question 57

physiological changes are associated with meditation

Answer 57

alpha waves and theta waves become more prominent in EEG recordings heart rate, skin conductance, respiration rate, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide elimination decline al suggesting suppression of bodily arousal some effects can be mimicked by relaxation techniques but deeper states seem unlikely due to simple relaxation

Question 58

long-term benefits does meditation produce

Answer 58

lower levels of stress hormones and enhanced immune reduced anxiety and drug abuse mood, self-esteem, blood pressure, happiness, cardio health, sleep patterns and overall health increased creativity and intelligence harder to prove but studies have pointed to improved focus, heightened awareness, emotional resilience, and moral maturity some of the above may be attainable through systematic relaxation and others through focussing procedures critics also point to placebo, sampling bias and other methodological problems but research is becoming more compelling studies point to it curbing pain because increased thickness in brain regions that register pain some research points to it altering the structure of the brain giving it more grey most of the research undermines the idea that its just relaxation

Question 59

psychoactive drugs are

Answer 59

chemical substances that modify mental, emotional, or behavioural functioning

Question 60

Narcotics or opiates are

Answer 60

derived from opium capable of relieving pain (all the big ones and oxycontin)

Question 61

Sedatives

Answer 61

sleep inducing drugs that decrease CNS activation and behavioural activity

Question 62

Stimulants

Answer 62

increase CNS activation and behavioural activity caffeine, nicotine, cocaine buoyant elation, fake confidence and increased alertness freebasing = crack ice/crystal meth side effects = restlessness, anxiety, paranoia and insomnia

Question 63

hallucinogens

Answer 63

powerful effect on mental and emotional functioning marked by distortions in sensory and perceptual experiences LSD, mushrooms, mescaline mystical feelings , religious ceremonies

Question 64

cannabis

Answer 64

hemp mild, relaxed euphoria, sensory increase side effects anxiety, sluggish mental functioning and impaired memory

Question 65

alcohol

Answer 65

ethyl alcohol (it is a drug even though people don't think it is) relaxed euphoria and temporary boosted self-esteem inhibitions diminish sever impairment in motor skills, mood swings, quarrelsomeness

Question 66

MDMA

Answer 66

compound drug related to both amphetamines and hallucinogens (mescaline) developed in 1912 but not used until rave culture in the 90s short lived high of a few hours or more warm, friendly, euphoric, sensual, insightful, empathetic, but alert and energetic side effects: increased blood pressure, muscle tension, sweating, blurred vision, insomnia and transient anxiety

Question 67

tolerance

Answer 67

refers to a progressive decrease in a person's responsiveness to a drug leads people to consume larger and larger doses

Question 68

amphetamines (and cocaine) exert their effect on

Answer 68

monoamine neurotransmitters: norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) increase the release of DA and NE cocaine blocks reuptake at DA and NE and serotonin synapses elevated activity in dopamine circuits is the source of pleasure

Question 69

endorphins are natural opiates exert their effect on

Answer 69

opiates bind to subtypes of endorphin receptors elevates activity in dopamine pathways release more endorphins

Question 70

How does THC work

Answer 70

THC hijacks the cannaboid receptors that occur naturally in the brain leads to increased release of endorphins and activation of dopamine circuits associated with reward

Question 71

mesolimbic dopamine pathway is

Answer 71

a circuit that runs from the midbrain through the nucleus accumbens and on to the frontal cortex has been characterized as the reward pathway large and rapid increases in the release of dopamine along this pathway are thought to be the neural basis of reinforcing effects of most abused drugs

Question 72

physical dependence

Answer 72

exists when a person must take a drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms heroin, barbiturates and alcohol = fever, chills tremors, convulsions, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, severe aches and pains cues favor in - i.e. if a needle user enters a room where they used to inject then they may start having withdrawal symptoms (conditioning)

Question 73

psychological dependence

Answer 73

exists when a person must continue the drug to satisfy intense mental and emotional cravings subtle and possible for all drugs but rare for hallucinogens both types established gradually with repeated use of drug