Chapter 5: Variations in Consciousness Flashcards
(132 cards)
1
Q
What is the term for the awareness of internal and external stimuli?
A
Counciousness
2
Q
What can dictate the thoughts in the stream of consciousness?
A
Intention
> attention could be a unifying concept in psychology
3
Q
What is one of the most fundamental issues in science?
A
Consciousness and its basis in neural cell assemblies
4
Q
Where does almost all human behaviour come from?
A
A mix of conscious and unconscious processing
5
Q
Are consciousness and attention the same?
A
No, you can have one without the other
6
Q
What is people’s experience of task-unrelated thoughts?
A
Mind Wandering
>15-50% of the time
> less likely if task requires more cognitive resources
> linked to creativity
7
Q
What is the difference between controlled and automatic processes?
A
-Controlled: thoughts we exert some control over> intentional
- Automatic: happens without our intention/control/effotr
>implicit processes
8
Q
What is the theory that under some circumstances, the quality of decisions made under conditions when people can’t engage in conscious thought can be more accurate?
A
Theory of unconscious thought
> distraction from conscious deliberation can enhance decisions
9
Q
What is the key to distinguishing between conscious and unconscious?
A
Attention
10
Q
From what does consciousness arise?
A
activity in distributed networks of neural pathways
11
Q
How is conscious thought constrained?
A
By capacity limitations
> Only a small subset of relevant info is considered
> Unconscious doesn’t have same constraints
12
Q
What instrument is use to explore the connection between brain activity and levels of consciousness?
A
EEG
13
Q
What are the 4 principle bands of brainwaves and corresponding frequencies?
A
- Beta > 13-24 cps: waking thought/problem solving
- Alpha > 8-12 cps: deep relaxation/meditation
- Theta > 4-7 cps: light sleep
- Delta> > 4 cps: deep sleep
> reflect different states of consciousness
14
Q
Who discovered REM sleep, started the first sleep lab and transformed research from the study of dreams to the study of the nature of sleep and sleep problems?
A
William Dement
15
Q
What are periodic fluctuations in physiological functioning known as?
A
Biological rhythms, biological clocks
16
Q
What is the 24-hour biological cycles found in humans and many other species?
A
Circadian rhythm
17
Q
What does the circadian rhythm influence in the body?
A
- Sleep
- blood pressure
- urine production
- hormonal secretions
- short-term memory
- alertness
- cognitive performance
18
Q
What are some of the main schedules for circadian-ruled functions?
A
- Alertness grows through the day and peaks at 6pm > linked with body temp
- Core body temp is low during sleep and rises with waking
- Growth hormone secretion occurs during sleep
19
Q
What happens when subjects are cut off from time cues of 24hr day?
A
Circadian rhythms persist but cycle runs a little longer- closer to 25hr
20
Q
What solutions are provided to counteract effects of shift work and which is most effective?
A
- melatonin> timing of dose is crucial
- light exposure> timing crucial
- scheduling shifts with progressively later start times + longer periods between shift changes
> scheduling shift changes most effective
21
Q
What tools of measurement are used in a sleep lab?
A
- EEG
- EMG (electromyograph) > muscular tension
- EOG (electrooculograph) > eye movements
22
Q
What are the 5 stages of sleep?
A
Stage 1: 1-7 mins > alpha waves to theta waves
>muscle tension and temp drop
>hypnic jerks
Stage 2: 10-25 mins > mix of brainwaves
> sleep spindles on EEG
Stage 3 + 4: reached in 30 mins > delta waves
> slow-wave sleep
> maintained for 30 mins
Stage 5: REM sleep > beta waves
> first cycle a few minutes > subsequent cycles progressively longer- 40-60 mins
> lateral side-to-side movements of the eyes
> hard to awaken from
> irregular breathing and pulse
> sleeper virtually paralyzed
> high dream recall (78%)
23
Q
What is slow-wave sleep?
A
Sleep stages 3 + 4 when high-amplitude low-frequency delta waves dominate
24
Q
What happens after Stage 4 is complete?
A
The cycle reverses back up through Stage 2 after which stage 5 is entered
25
What other important functions does sleep serve?
- consolidate memories acquired during the day
| - different types of learning
26
What is referred to as Non-REM sleep?
Sleep Stages 1-4
27
How many sleep cycles occur in one night?
4
28
When do posture changes occur during sleep?
Between REM periods
29
As the night progresses what happens to the REM periods?
REM periods get longer while Non-REM gets shallower
| >REM dominates second half of night
30
What is particular to the final REM period?
- fastest eye movements
| - dreams best remembered
31
What is the split of slow wave and REM sleep for young adults?
- slow wave: 15-20%
| - REM 20-25%
32
What is the term for how quickly one falls asleep, how long stays asleep and how one cycles through stages?
The architecture of sleep
33
What stages of sleep do newborns experience?
2 stages: REM and Non-REM
> sleep 6-8 times in 24 hrs
> more than 16 hrs of sleep in one night
34
What is the split of REM sleep between babies and adults?
- 50% babies
| - 20% adults
35
How does REM sleep change in infants and children?
1yr: 50% > 30%
| 1-5yrs: 30% > 20% gradually
36
What is the key feature of sleep patterns with aging?
- Proportion of REM sleep stays stable
- slow wave declines
- Stage 1 increases slightly
- average total sleep time decreases
- affects men more than women
37
What is a key conclusion of the effects of aging on sleep quality?
Growing older itself does not lead to poor sleep if remain healthy
> to do with increase in health problems that interfere with sleep
38
What are cultural differences in sleep?
- Co-sleeping very common in Non-western world
| - napping customs > siesta, may be adaptive
39
What structures regulate the rhythm of sleeping and waking?
Subcoritcal areas > reticular formation
40
What is the system that consists of afferent fibres running through the reticular formation that influences physiological arousal?
ARAS= ascending reticular activating system
41
What happens when the ARAS fibres are cut and stimulated?
- Cut: continuous sleep
| - Stimulated: arousal and alertness
42
What structures regulate the rhythm of sleeping and waking?
- reticular formation
- pons
- hypothalamus
- medulla, thalamus, basal forebrain control sleep and neurotransmitters
43
What is the system that consists of afferent fibres running through the reticular formation that influences physiological arousal?
ARAS= ascending reticular activating system
44
What is the paradox of sleep deprivation?
It is not as detrimental as thought but has major social implications
> puts all health at risk
45
What do the effects of sleep deprivation depend on?
- amount of sleep lost
| - task at hand
46
What do people who are sleep deprived often think?
That they are performing normally
| > results in lapses of judgement
47
What effects does sleep deprivation have on emotions?
- more reactivity
- emotional jello
- possible link to psychopathy
- active and isolated amygdalas
48
What happens when subjects are REM sleep deprived?
They will spontaneously go into REM sleep more frequently
> rebound effect occurs where they will spend more time in REM over 1-3 nights
> similar effect with slow wave deprivation
49
What is one of the effects of REM on cells?
Fosters neurogenesis > hippocampus
50
What is the mortality risk associated with sleep loss?
Increased mortality < 7 hrs and > 8hrs
> highest mortality for people sleeping > 10hrs
> could be a marker of other problems
51
What are the main types of sleep disorders?
- insomnia
- narcolepsy
- sleep apnea
- nightmares
- night terrors
- somnambulism
- REM sleep behaviour disorder
52
What are the 3 patterns of insomnia and what is likely the primary cause?
1- falling asleep
2- remaining asleep
3- early awakening
>hyper arousal may be primary cause >hormonal patterns
53
What is pseudo-insomnia?
When people think they are getting inadequate sleep when they're not
54
What is the common treatment for insomnia and what is very successful?
2 types of sedatives:
- benzodiazipine (anti-anxiety)
- Non-benzo (sleep problems)
> poor long-term solution
- psychology based treatments such as relaxation and behavioural intervention are effective in short-term and have long-lasting benefits
55
What occurs during narcolepsy?
```
A person goes directly from wakefulness to REM sleep
> 10-20mins
>0.05% of population
> treated w stimulants
> can be genetically predisposed
```
56
What are the key qualifiers of sleep apnea?
- stopping breathing for at least 10 seconds at least 5 times per hour
57
What effect can sleep apnea have on health?
increases vulnerability to hypertension, heart disease and stroke
58
What are night terrors?
abrupt awakening from Non-REM sleep + intense autonomic arousal + panic
> occur in Stage 4
> don't recall coherent dream
> common in children 3-8yrs
59
When does sleep walking most often occur in a night?
In first two hours of sleep
> lasts 15-30 mins
> occurs during slow wave
60
Which disorders can be a genetic disposition?
- Somnambulism
| - Narcolepsy
61
What occurs during REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD)?
- troublesome dream enactments during REM
> yelling + jumping
> violent and can hurt themselves or partner
62
What is the cause of RBD, who does it afflict and how is it treated?
- deterioration in the brainstem structures responsible for REM immobilization
- Men 50-60
- treatment difficult and concurrent with other syndromes
63
What is a universal feature in dreams?
A coherent sense of self
| > first-person perspective
64
What are interesting findings of dream studies?
- people are more tolerant of logical discrepancies
- typically in familiar settings and people
- generally coherent and realistic worlds
65
What are more common for female dreams?
- negative perspective
- phobias
- anxiety
- control issues
> reflect conventional gender roles
66
What is the progression of children's dream recall?
- recall after REM 20-30% > increases to 80% bw 9-11 yrs
- under 5 yrs > bland and no story
- 5-8 yrs report narratives but lacking in development and aggression/misfortune
- 11-13 dreams become more adult-like
67
How do dreams relate to cognition?
Dreaming is a cognitive ability that develops gradually like other cognitive abilities
68
What is the spill-over of waking life into dream content?
Daily residue
69
What is the state when people realise they are dreaming while inside the dream?
Lucid dreaming
70
How are dreams perceived in non-western cultures?
- importance to self or spirit
- systems for interpretations vary
- contents vary because societies deal with different worlds
71
What are the primary dream theories?
- Freud > dreams as wish fulfillment
- Cartwright > Cognitive Problem Solving View: engage in creative thinking unrestrained by logic and realism
- Hobson/McCarley > Activation-synthesis model: dreams are side-effects of neural activation that produces beta waves
72
What makes it difficult to test theories?
Private subjective nature of dreams
73
What is the main criticism of the Cognitive problem solving view of dreams?
people don't always dream up solutions
74
What is the main criticism of the Activation-synthesis model of dreams?
It cannot account for Non-REM dreaming and contents more meaningful than model predicts
75
What did Franz Mesmer do?
Claimed he could cure illness w the power of suggestion
76
Who practically applied hypnosis for the first time in medicine and how?
- James Braid
| - used as anaesthetic
77
What is the systemic procedure that produces a heightened state of suggestibility?
Hypnosis
78
Hypnosis is ________?
Induced
79
What is the SHSS?
Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale
| > shows few are highly susceptible 10-15%
80
What are the 3 components of susceptibility to hypnosis?
1) Absorption > capacity to block peripheral awareness
2) Dissociation > ability to separate aspects of perception
3) Suggestibility > tendency to accept direction
81
What is a key finding of hypnosis research?
People who are responsive under hypnosis are just as responsive to suggestion without it
> imaginative suggestibility
82
What are the primary hypnotic phenomena?
- Anaesthesia
- Sensory distortions + hallucinations
- Disinhibition
- Post-hypnotic suggestions + amnesia
83
What are the theories re hypnosis?
1- Social cognitive theory > role playing
>effects duplicated by non-hyp people
2- Altered State of consciousness > dissociation enables the person to have 2 simultaneous streams of awareness > hidden observer
> brain imaging shows consistent w hallucinations
84
Has the study of hypnosis produced physiological changes?
No, not on EEG
85
What is the biggest support for Dissociation?
Divided consciousness is already a common experience
| > highway hypnosis
86
What is the family of practices that train attention to heighten awareness and bring mental processes under voluntary control?
Meditation
| > deliberate effort to alter consciousness
87
What are the two main approaches to meditation?
- focused attention > attention on one thing: breathing
>TM
- open monitoring > attention to moment-to-moment in non-judgement > detached observer
> Zen buddhism, mindfulness
88
How has mindfulness been integrated into common practice?
CBT for psychotherapy to treat anxiety, depression, OCD, others
89
What happens when meditation occurs?
- alpha & theta waves increases
| - heart rate, respiration rate, skin conductance, etc decrease
90
What characterizes mediation physiologically?
suppression of bodily arousal
91
What do brain images of meditators show?
- increase activity in prefrontol cortex
- different approaches have different activity
- changes unlikely from simple relaxation
- can change brain structure
92
What do critics site re meditation as an altered state?
- placebo effect and relaxation
93
What are chemical substances that modify mental, emotional and behavioural functioning?
Psychoactive drugs
94
What age category has seen a rise in binge drinking?
Youth 15-24
95
What are the 6 categories of psychoactive drugs?
- Narcotics
- Sedatives
- Stimulants
- Hallucinogens
- Cannabis
- Alcohol
- MDMA
96
What are narcotics, what is the most common purpose, and most common forms?
```
Opiate based drugs
- originally to relieve pain
> heroin
> morphine
> oxycodone > time release for less abuse
> demerol
```
97
What are the main symptoms and side effects of narcotics?
Symptoms> euphoria, well-being, 'who cares'
| Side effect> lethargy, nausea, motor functions, constipation
98
What are sedatives, what is the most common purpose, and most common forms?
Sleep inducing drugs that decrease CNS activation
> downers
- qualudes
- barbiturates/non-barbiturates
99
What are the main symptoms and side effects of sedatives?
Symptoms> euphoria, relaxation, anxiety reduction, reduced inhibitions
Side effects> drowsiness, mood swings, impairment of mental functioning, lethargy, motor coordination
100
What are stimulants, what is the most common purpose, and most common forms?
Drugs that increase the CNS activation
>cocaine
>amphetamines
> caffeine and nicotine
101
What are the main symptoms and side effects of stimulants?
Symptoms> buoyant euphoria, increased alertness, excitement, reduced fatigue
Side effects> anxiety, blood pressure, talkativeness, sweating, paranoia, aggressiveness, reduced appetite
102
What is freebasing?
chemical treatment used to extract pure cocaine from street cocaine
> makes crack
103
What are hallucinogens, what is the most common purpose, and most common forms?
Powerful effect on mental and emotional functioning
> distortions in sensory and perceptual experience
- LSD
- Psylocybin
- Mescaline
104
What are the main symptoms and side effects of hallucinogens?
Symptoms> euphoria, increased sensory awareness, altered perceptions, hallucinations, sense of time, insightful experiences
Side effects> nausea, dilated pupils, paranoia, mood swings, panic, anxiety, impaired judgement, bad trip
105
What is cannabis, what is the most common purpose, and most common forms?
```
Hemp plant
> pain relief
- marijuana
- hashish > hemp resin
- THC > active chemical ingredient
```
106
What are the main symptoms and side effects of cannabis?
Symptoms> mild euphoria, relaxation, altered perceptions, enhanced awareness
Side effects> bloodshot eyes, increased heart rate, dry mouth, reduced short term memories, sluggish motor and mental, anxiety
107
What is alcohol, what is the most common purpose, and most common forms?
Variety of beverages containing ethyl alcohol
- beer
- wine
- distilled spirits
108
What are the main symptoms and side effects of alcohol?
Symptoms> mild euphoria, relaxation, anxiety reduction, reduced inhibitions, increased self-esteem
Side effects> impaired coordination and mental, increased urination, emotional swings, depression, quarrelsomeness, hangover
109
What is the most widely used drug in society?
Alcohol
110
What is mdma, what is the most common purpose, and most common forms?
Drug compound related to amphetamines and mescaline
> molly or ecstacy
Symptoms> warm, friendly, euphoric, sensual, insightful, empathetic, short high
Side effects> increased blood pressure, muscle tension, sweating, blurred vision, insomnia, transient anxiety
111
What is a drug tolerance?
A progressive decrease in a person's responsiveness to a drug
> leads to larger doses
>alcohol slow tolerance
> heroin fast tolerance
112
What are the main mechanisms of psychoactive drugs?
Neurotransmitter activity
113
What neurotransmitters do amphetamines affect?
Monoamines increase the release and interfere with reuptake of
> Norepinephrine
> Dopamine
- causes increased levels of DA and NE at affected synapses
114
What effect does cocaine have on monoamines?
Similar to amphetamines but it also blocks the reuptake of seratonin as well as DA and NE > can lead to DA and NE defficiency
115
What is crucial to the pleasureable effects of cocaine and amphetamines?
Elevated activity of dopamine circuits
116
How do opiates affect neurotransmitters?
They bind to endorphin receptor sites
| >indirectly elevate activity in dopamine pathways that modulate reward
117
How does cannabis affect neurotransmitters?
THC 'hijacks' the 2 types of cannabinoid receptors
> increases release of endorphines
> activates dopamine circuits
118
What are the naturally produced chemicals in the body similar to THC?
Endocanabanoids> anandamide
| > influence GABA and glutamate synapses
119
What is the theory about what specific neural pathway is affected by recreational drugs?
Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
Midbrain > medial forebrain bundle> nucleus accumbens > prefrontal cortex
>dopamine projection/release
120
How does a physical dependence develop?
When a person must continue to take a drug to avoid withdrawal
> common to narcotics, sedatives, alcohol & stimulants
121
Dependency is also an example of what?
classical conditioning > situational specific tolerance
122
How is a psychological dependence developed?
when a person must continue to take a drug to satisfy intense mental and emotional cravings
> need is more powerful than physical dependence
> all rec drugs but hallucinogens
123
What is the chief factor in craving and addition?
Dysregulation in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway
124
What do both types of dependence demonstrate?
Alterations in synaptic transmissions
125
What are common health effects of rec drugs?
- Overdose > CNS depressants systems stop
> CNS stimulants cause overload: heart attack, stroke, seizure
- Direct effects> physiological damage
- Indirect-effects> health-impairing behaviour: attitude, intention and behaviour
126
What drug has the most diverse negative effects on physical health?
Alcohol
127
What is the most controversial drug?
Marijuana
- heavy use increases risk of lung and resp disease
- suppresses aspects of immune system
- link to psychotic disorders> schizophrenia
- temp decrease in testosterone
- heavy chronic use linked to impairment of attention, learning, memory
128
What are the general findings re MDMA?
Not very addictive by psychological dependence can occur
- stroke, heart attack, seizure, liver damage
- sleep disorders and depression
- subtle long-term memory deficits and decrease in performance learning
129
What is the main finding re nap effectiveness?
Naps can be refreshing and beneficial if they don't interfere with night sleep
> esp when rich in slow wave or REM
130
What is the problem with CNS depressants and sleep?
They can dissrupt the sleep cycle
131
Is alcoholism a disease?
no conclusive evidence but a disease is an impairments in normal functioning of an organism that alters its vital functions
132
What is the tendency to use definitions as explanations?
Nominal fallacy
