Untitled Quiz

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What best defines consciousness?

A mental state that only includes internal thoughts.

The ability to react to external stimuli only.

Subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment. (correct)

A state of being completely unaware of surroundings.

Which of the following is NOT considered an altered state of consciousness?

Psychoactive drug use

Meditation

Being asleep

Focused attention (correct)

Which level of awareness requires minimal attention to perform?

Automatic processes (correct)

Unconscious body

Unconscious mind

Focused attention

What is the result of inattention blindness?

Inability to report details of unattended visual stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

How does damage to the reticular formation affect consciousness?

It causes loss of consciousness. Signup and view all the answers

At what age do babies typically begin to show conscious awareness of self in the mirror test?

18 months Signup and view all the answers

What role does the cerebral cortex play in consciousness?

It is essential for conscious awareness. Signup and view all the answers

Which brain structure is associated with disturbances of wakefulness?

Hypothalamus Signup and view all the answers

What defines preconsciousness in terms of awareness?

It allows info to become accessible with effort. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes unconscious decision making?

Quick and intuitive judgments. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes implicit memory?

It consists of knowledge stored that is not consciously recalled. Signup and view all the answers

What is one possible function of sleep according to the adaptive theory?

To protect organisms from predators. Signup and view all the answers

What physiological processes are regulated by the circadian rhythm?

Sleep-wake cycles along with temperature and blood pressure. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes an unconscious state?

Information is not easily accessible to awareness. Signup and view all the answers

Which behavior is an example of automatic behavior in the preconscious state?

Brushing your teeth without thinking about each step. Signup and view all the answers

Which theory supports the idea that sleep restores the brain and body?

Restoration theory. Signup and view all the answers

Which category does alcohol belong to within drug classification?

Depressants Signup and view all the answers

What effect do stimulants have on messages traveling between the brain and body?

They speed up messages. Signup and view all the answers

Which drug is classified as an opioid?

Heroin Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary effect of hallucinogens on perception?

They produce hallucinations. Signup and view all the answers

What does reward-deficiency syndrome suggest about people who abuse drugs?

They have a diminished response to usual life events. Signup and view all the answers

What is the longest documented period someone has gone without sleep?

11 days Signup and view all the answers

What physical effects are associated with being awake for 36 hours?

Risky decision making Signup and view all the answers

Which sleep disorder is characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep?

Sleep Apnea Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes Excessive Daytime Sleepiness from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness entails excessive nighttime sleep. Signup and view all the answers

Which symptom is primarily associated with Narcolepsy?

Uncontrollable urge to fall asleep suddenly Signup and view all the answers

Which sleep disorder involves moving about in a slow, poorly coordinated manner while unaware?

Somnambulism Signup and view all the answers

What is a common cause of Insomnia among older adults?

Stress and anxiety Signup and view all the answers

Delayed sleep phase syndrome is characterized by which behavior?

Going to sleep very late and waking up very late. Signup and view all the answers

Which stage of sleep is characterized by the presence of sleep spindles?

Stage 2 Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) in sleep regulation?

Directs melatonin secretion from the pineal gland Signup and view all the answers

Which theory of dreaming proposes that dreams help process daily information?

Information Processing Theory Signup and view all the answers

During which stage of sleep are nightmares most likely to occur?

REM Sleep Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes REM sleep compared to Non-REM (NREM) sleep?

Vivid dreaming and muscle paralysis Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a feature of Stage 3 sleep?

20%-50% delta waves Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'latent content' refer to in Freudian Dream Theory?

Hidden psychological meaning of dreams Signup and view all the answers

Which sleep disorder involves the recognition that one is dreaming, often allowing for control over the dream's outcome?

Lucid dreaming Signup and view all the answers

In which sleep stage does the brain become most active, resembling wakefulness?

Stage 5 (REM) Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for fantasies that occur while one is awake but not fully conscious?

Daydreams Signup and view all the answers

What typically characterizes night terrors in children?

The child screams in panic and does not wake up fully. Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary type of individual affected by REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder?

Middle-aged and older men Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about hypnosis is true?

It involves heightened suggestibility and deep relaxation. Signup and view all the answers

What role does the anterior cingulate cortex play when hypnosis is used to manage pain?

It is involved in cognitive control and pain processing. Signup and view all the answers

What does addiction refer to in the context of psychoactive drugs?

A psychological or physical compulsion to take a drug. Signup and view all the answers

What defines drug tolerance?

Needing larger doses to achieve the same effect. Signup and view all the answers

What typically occurs during withdrawal from an addictive substance?

Unpleasant and potentially dangerous side effects. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes illicit drugs?

Drugs that are illegal to possess, sell, or use. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Consciousness

Consciousness is subjective awareness of oneself and one's environment.
This includes awareness of internal stimuli (hunger, thirst, sleepiness, thoughts, emotions) and external stimuli (warmth of a room, hearing a friend's voice, smelling a flower).

Altered States of Consciousness

Being asleep
Having a dream
Hypnosis
Meditation
Anaesthesia
Psychoactive drugs

Components of Consciousness

States of Consciousness: Level of awareness for one's external surroundings and internal states.
Contents of Consciousness: Specific thoughts one is aware of regarding internal states or external surroundings.

Consciousness and the Brain

Attention and awareness of attention are controlled by different brain areas.
Damage to the brain can impact conscious awareness.
Reticular Formation: Loss of consciousness.
Hypothalamus: Disturbances of wakefulness.
Thalamus: Lack of conscious awareness.
Cerebral Cortex: Lack of awareness.
Inattention blindness: Failure to notice something visual when not paying attention.

Levels of Awareness

Highest level: Focused attention (requires significant mental resources).
Middle level: Automatic processes (driving, eating – minimal attention required).
Low level: Daydreaming (unconscious mind). Unconscious mind: memories, feelings that are repressed or not consciously thought about. Unconscious body: coma, etc. Sleep (sometimes considered an altered state).

Consciousness Awareness and the Cerebral Cortex - Split Brain Patients

Information from the eyes travels to the opposite side of the brain.
Crossing of nerve fibers at the optic chiasm.
Information about visual stimuli is processed in the occipital lobes of the brain.

Brain Lateralization and the Split Brain

Specialization of functions in each hemisphere of the brain.
The brain's two hemispheres are connected by the corpus callosum.

Development of Consciousness

Rouge Experiment/Mirror Test: Used to determine if an individual recognizes themselves.
Babies/animals recognize themselves in the mirror from around 18 months.
Full conscious awareness typically develops around 22 months.

Preconscious and Unconscious States

Preconscious: Information that can be readily available to consciousness (e.g., what you did last weekend).
Automatic Behaviors: Preconscious behaviors automatically performed (e.g., brushing teeth).
Unconscious: Information not easily accessible to consciousness (e.g., what you ate last weekend).

Memory and Consciousness

Explicit Memory: Memories of knowledge that are fully known (e.g., high school graduation, moving to a new place). Information studied for a test.
Implicit Memory: Knowledge stored in memory, but not always consciously recalled (e.g., riding a bicycle, typing, knowing a second language).

Unconscious Decision Making

Quick and intuitive judgments that help make immediate decisions.

Freud and the Unconscious

Conscious: Immediately aware of things.
Preconscious: Things that can be easily made conscious.
Unconscious: Things unaware of and have often been repressed (wishes, fears, memories, emotions).

Altered States of Consciousness: Sleep

Why Do We Sleep?

Adaptive Theory: Sleep to avoid predators.
Biological Theory: Sleep needed for growth (pituitary gland releases growth hormones).
Restoration Theory: Sleep to restore brains and bodies.

The Circadian Rhythm

Biological clock regulating sleep-wake cycles.
Roughly tied to periods of daylight and night.
Also regulates body temperature, pain tolerance, hormone secretion, and blood pressure.
May be disrupted by jet lag, can be disrupted by stereotypes.

Controlling the Clock: Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

Small group of neurons in the hypothalamus.
Directs pineal gland to secrete melatonin.

Sleep Cycles

Cycles of 90–100 minutes.
Five stages.
Stages 1 & 2 are spent relatively equally.

Stages of Sleep

Pre-sleep Period (Hypnagogic State): Transition from wakefulness to sleep. Hypnagogic hallucinations and myoclonic jerks.
Stage 1: Brief transition; alpha waves become slower theta waves.
Stage 2: Alpha waves disappear altogether; rhythmic breathing. Sleep spindles.
Stage 3: Deep sleep. 20-50% delta waves. Sleepwalking more likely in this and stage 4.
Stage 4: Delta waves dominate. Heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing at lowest levels. Sleepwalking more likely.
Stage 5 (REM Sleep): Associated with vivid dreaming, rapid eye movement, increased heart and breathing rates; brain activity similar to wakefulness. Muscle paralysis.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep

Associated with rapid, jagged brain waves, increased heart rate, rapid and irregular breathing, rapid eye movements, and dreaming.

Dreaming

Information Processing Theory: Dreams involve processing information from the day, encoding memory and problem-solving.
Activation-Synthesis Theory: Brain activity during sleep activates sensory systems; neural activity during sleep is interpreted to make sense of what is happening.
Freudian Theory: Dreams represent fulfillment of unconscious wishes. Manifest content (dream) vs. latent content (underlying meaning).

Nightmares, Lucid Dreams, and Daydreams

Nightmares: Dreams filled with intense anxiety – vivid or frequent nightmares.
Lucid Dreams: Aware that you are dreaming and can sometimes control the dream’s plot or outcome.
Daydreams: Fantasies while awake and aware of external reality.

Sleep Disorders: Insomnia

Most common disorder.
Difficulty falling or staying asleep.
Often caused by stress, pain, medications, etc.
More common in older people due to medical conditions.

Sleep Disorders: Sleep Apnea

Second most common.
Repeatedly stops breathing during sleep, leading to frequent awakenings.
Carbon dioxide builds up in blood causing momentary awakening.
Breathing may stop for 10 seconds.
Possible to have hundreds of attacks per night.

Sleep Disorders: Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

People may regularly nap during the day.
Fall asleep during the day.
Still sleep for long hours at night.
Different from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

Sleep Disorders: Narcolepsy

Uncontrollable urge to fall asleep.
Sudden fall into REM sleep during the day (can last up to 15 minutes).
Genetic factors involved, a type of autoimmune disorder.

Sleep Disorders: Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

Long delay in ability to fall asleep.
Fall asleep late in the evening, wake up late in the morning.

Sleep Disorders: Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome

Fall asleep early in the evening, wake up early in the morning.

Sleep Disorders: Restless Legs Syndrome

Strong urge to move legs before sleep, typically as an involuntary sensation in legs.
Often coupled with discomfort.

Sleep Disorders: Periodic Limb Movements of Sleep

Uncontrollable movements of the legs during sleep.

Sleep Disorders: Somnambulism (Sleepwalking)

Occurs within 3 hours of falling asleep.
Person moves about in a slow and poorly coordinated manner, looking blank.
Unconscious of actions during sleepwalking.
Difficult to wake up.
Common in children.

Sleep Disorders: Night Terrors

Occur in stages 3 and 4 of sleep.
Child screams in panic but immediately falls back to sleep.
Does not remember event in the morning.

Sleep Disorders: REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder

Acting out dreams while in bed and sleeping.
Often in response to intense or violent dreams.

Hypnosis

Altered state of consciousness characterized by heightened suggestibility and deep relaxation.
Often used in pain management.
Posthypnotic responses, amnesia, hallucinations, decreased activity in anterior cingulate cortex during procedures where it is used for pain reduction.
Two possible mechanisms of hypnosis: divided consciousness theory and social/cognitive processing theory.

Psychoactive Drugs

Substances that alter the brain's functioning and behavior.
Addiction: Psychological or physical compulsion to take a drug.
Tolerance: Person needs higher doses of drug to achieve same effect.
Withdrawal Symptoms: Unpleasant or dangerous side effects after reducing intake.
Types of drugs:
- Medicinal: Treat or manage medical conditions.
- Illicit: Illegal to possess/use.
- Recreational: Used for pleasurable or mind-altering effects.
- Depressants: Slow down brain and body functions (e.g., alcohol, benzodiazepines).
- Opioids: Relieve pain and cause feelings of well-being (e.g., oxycodone, fentanyl).
- Stimulants: Increase body and brain functions (e.g., caffeine, cocaine, amphetamines).
- Hallucinogens: Change perceptions, mood, cognitive processes, and cause hallucinations (e.g., LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, ecstasy, ketamine).

Reward Learning Pathway

Psychoactive drugs activate a reward pathway in the brain, which influences behavior and learning.
The brain's reward center is not readily activated by usual life events in people with reward deficiency syndrome, causing susceptibility to drugs.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.