chapter 8

Question 1

consciousness

Answer 1

is the awareness of objects and events in the external world and of our own existence and mental experiences at any given moment (internal events and external stimuli).

Question 2

consciousness is a

psychological construct

Answer 2

: A concept that is ‘constructed’ to describe specific ‘psychological’ activity, that is believed to occur or exist but cannot be directly observed.

Question 3

consciencesness can be ..

Answer 3

• selective (choose what you attend to and what you ignore)
• continuous ( NEVER a part of the day where you are ‘empty’)
• changing (with new information coming in, particularly when you are awake)

Question 4

state of consciousness

Answer 4

refers to the level of awareness we have about our internal state and external surroundings

Question 5

continuum of consciousness

Answer 5

Continuum with two extremes — total awareness and complete lack of awareness. In between are other states of awareness.

Question 6

2 broad categories of consciousness

Answer 6

Normal waking Consciousness & Altered state of consciousness

Question 7

types of altered states of consciousness

Answer 7

Daydreaming – a naturally occurring altered state of consciousness where there is shift in awareness from external events to internal thoughts.

Question 8

NWC

Answer 8

Normal waking consciousness is associated with being awake and aware of our thoughts, memories, feelings and sensations we are experiencing.

Question 9

NWC characteristics

Answer 9

• NWC is constantly changing
• Our perceptions and thoughts are organised and clear • We are aware of our own personal identity

1. Levels of awareness
2. Content limitation
3. Controlled and automatic processes

Question 10

ASC

Answer 10

altered state of consciousness is one that is distinctly different from normal states of consciousness in terms of level of awareness and quality of experiences and memories. - natural sleep or induced drugs

Question 11

ASC characteristics

Answer 11

4. Perceptual and cognitive distortions 5. Emotional awareness
5. Self-control
6. Time orientation

Question 12

levels of awareness ; attention

Answer 12

concentration of mental activity that involves focusing on specific stimuli and ignoring other stimuli

Question 13

levels of awareness ; selective and divided attention NWC

Answer 13

Selective attention: involves selectively attending to certain stimuli while ignoring others.
Divided attention: refers to the ability to distribute our attention and undertake two or more activities simultaneously.
perceptual system can handle some divided attention tasks, as long as the tasks are not complex and therefore do not demand considerable mental effort

Question 14

methods to study consciousness

Answer 14

Objective / physiological 
- Electroencephalograph 
- Electromyograph 
- Electro-oculograph 
Biased 
- video monitoring 
- self reports/ sleep diary  
- measurement of speed/accuracy on cognitive tests

Question 15

EEG and DARE

Answer 15

Electroencephalograph

Detects, amplifies and records electrical activity produced by active neurons in the brain (cerebral cortex)

Question 16

interpreting EEG

Answer 16

• frequency

- amplitude

Question 17

frequency

Answer 17

the number of waves per second/how quickly the waves are produced
• High frequency = fast waves, more waves per second
• Low frequency = slow waves, less waves per second

Question 18

amplitude

Answer 18

the height of the wave
• High amplitude = tall peak and deep troughs
• Low amplitude = short peaks and shallow troughs

Question 19

beta waves

Answer 19

• Highest brain electrical activity
• Alert and active – normal waking consciousness
• High frequency • Low amplitude
EG. anxiety, fight or flight

Question 20

alpha waves

Answer 20

• Extremely relaxed/meditative state
• High frequency
• Low amplitude, but slightly higher than beta waves
EG. pre waking drowsiness, meditation

Question 21

theta wave

Answer 21

• Associated with the early
stages of sleep
• Medium frequency
• Mixture of high and low amplitude waves
 EG. deep meditation

Question 22

delta waves

Answer 22

• Associated with the deepest
stage of sleep
• Low frequency • High amplitude
EG. dreamless sleep, trance like

Question 23

Brain Wave Patterns Due to Drug Induced ASC- Stimulant

Answer 23

Stimulants are drugs that increase activity in the central nervous system and the rest of the body. caffeine amphetamines, cocaine and ecstasy. Stimulants may alter attention, mood, etc. physiological changes eg. blood pressure and heart rate increase,

Question 24

Brain Wave Patterns Due to Drug Induced ASC - depressant

Answer 24

Depressants are drugs that decrease activity in the central nervous system and the rest of the body.
effects result in a state of calm, relaxation, drowsiness, sleep.
reduce alertness, environmental awareness
Alcohol, opiates

Question 25

EMG

Answer 25

Detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of muscles. Focuses on recording activity (movement) and tone (tension)

Question 26

EOG

Answer 26

• Detects, amplifies and records electrical activities in the muscles around the eyes measures eye positions and movement

Question 27

video monitoring

Answer 27

* Recorded in real time and allows other responses to be analysed at a later time. * Levels of alertness * Movement in the night * How long it takes a person to go to sleep

Question 28

self reports/sleep diary

Answer 28

Commonly used in sleep studies, particularly sleep diaries or sleep logs. is a self reported record of an individual’s sleep and waking time activities, usually over a period of several weeks

Question 29

measurement of speed on cognitive tasks

Answer 29

typically involves response or reaction time to a stimulus —

Question 30

measurement of accuracy on cognitive tasks

Answer 30

typically involves the number of correct responses and incorrect responses (errors) made by the individual.

Question 31

psychological indicators

Answer 31

``` - self control content limitations time orientation emotional awareness cognitive distortions perceptual distortions ```

Question 32

self control

Answer 32

NWC Awareness of self. Conscious ability to take control of behaviour. Some psychological and physical limitations to self-control. ASC Self-control is compromised, e.g.: • Asleep • Drunk • Hypnotised

Question 33

time orientation

Answer 33

NWC Perception of time is accurate -e.g. 1 hour feels like 1 hour. Awareness of past, present and future events. ASC Sense of time is distorted - i.e. time could be perceived to be moving quicker or slower.

Question 34

content limitations

Answer 34

``` NWC Content is limited in type and amount. Very few bizarre thoughts ASC Content is fairly unlimited, mainly due to lack of control. -innapropriate ```

Question 35

perceptual distortions

Answer 35

NWC Sensations reflect reality Perception is clear leading to heightened awareness of surroundings. -reality/accurate ASC Perceptions can be dulled, e.g. drugs Perception can be heightened, e.g.hallucinations Sometimes perception is so distorted that people may lose their sense of identity- pain .

Question 36

cognitive distortions

Answer 36

``` NWC Cognition usually logical and organised. Effective memory functioning. Capable of analytical and logical thinking. ASC Cognition is illogical and fragmented. Memory is impaired. Cognitive distortions may occur, e.g. think people are trying to kill you. ```

Question 37

emotional awareness

Answer 37

``` NWC Show normal range of appropriate emotions. ASC Emotional responses tend to be: • Inappropriate, e.g. • Heightened, e.g. • Dulled, e.g. ```

Question 38

AWARENESS - controlled

Answer 38

Controlled processes: actions that require a high level of conscious awareness, attention & mental effort. Controlled processing is serial; that is, only one activity requiring controlled processes can be performed at one time • Often required when an activity is difficult or unfamiliar EG driving

Question 39

AWARENESS- | automatic processes

Answer 39

Automatic processes: actions that require little conscious awareness or mental effort and do not interfere with the performance on other tasks. EG driving after 10 years

Question 40

comparing effects of one night of sleep v alcohol

Answer 40

significant relationship. sleep deprivation, alcohol, cognition, concentration and mood are intertwined and may interact in complex ways in influencing conscious experience.

Question 41

physiological indicators of ASC

Answer 41

``` Heart rate Body temp GSR Galvanic skin response (sweat) eye movement muscle movement brain waves ```