Psychology Chapter 5: Consciousness

Chapter 5: Consciousness

• Consciousness is awareness of internal and external worlds.
• Levels of Awareness:
  • James: Streams of consciousness.
  • Freud: Unconscious.
• Sleep/Dream Research is a study of these areas.

A Physiological Index of Consciousness

• EEG (Electroencephalogram): Monitors brain electrical activity.
• Brain Waves:
  • Beta: (13-24 cps) - awake, alert
  • Alpha: (8-12 cps) - relaxed
  • Theta: (4-7 cps) - light sleep
  • Delta: (2 cps)- deep sleep (slow wave)
  • Amplitude (height) and frequency (cycles per second)

Biological Rhythms and Sleep

• Circadian Rhythms: Biological cycles (24 hours) regulating sleep and body functions.
• Biological Clock:
  • Light levels > retina > suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of hypothalamus > pineal gland > melatonin secretion.
• Periodic Fluctuation: Plays a role in physiological function, particularly in sleep.
• Internal Clock:
  • Mistlberger believes there's a single internal "pacemaker."
  • Rusak believes there are several internal clocks.

Effects of Jet Lag on Sleep

• Jet Lag: Disruption of sleep-wake cycle due to time zone changes.
• Effects: Fatigue, irritability, poor sleep quality, eastbound travel causing more disruption than westbound travel.
• Adjustment: Body takes about 24 hours per time zone to adjust.
• Beta Amyloid: A toxin in the body.

Sleep/Waking Research Instruments

• Electroencephalograph (EEG): Measures brain electrical activity.
• Electromyograph (EMG): Measures muscle activity.
• Electrooculograph (EOG): Measures eye movements.
• Blood Pressure (BP): A measure used.
• Heart Rate: Is a measure used.

Sleep Stages

• Stage 1: Brief, transitional (1-7 minutes), alpha and theta waves, hypnic jerks.
• Stage 2: Sleep spindles (10-25 minutes), sleep spindles, K-complexes.
• Stages 3 & 4: Slow-wave sleep (30 minutes), slow-wave activity.
• Stage 5 (REM): Similar to awake EEG activity, vivid dreams.
• Sleep Spindle: High frequency bursts.

Sleep Cycles

• 90-minute cycles, 4-6 cycles per night.
• Typical sequence: stage 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 3 > 2 > REM
• Developmental differences in REM sleep.

The Neural Bases of Sleep

• Brain Structures: Ascending reticular activating system (ARAS), Pons/medulla, thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system.
• Neurotransmitters: Acetylcholine, serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, GABA.
• Smith Sleep stage 2 seems to play a role in motor skills.

Sleep Deprivation

• Complete Deprivation: Problems occur if getting less than 5 hours for multiple days.
• Partial Deprivation/Sleep Restriction: Impacts attention, reaction time, coordination, and decision-making.
• Walker: Studied sleep deprivation's impact on people, highlighting increased activity in the amygdala and decreased communication in the brain.

Sleep Problems

• Insomnia: Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
• Narcolepsy: Irresistible onsets of sleep, often caused by problems with neurotransmitters.
• Sleep Apnea: Reflexive gasping for air while sleeping.

Sleep Problems (continued)

• Nightmares: Anxiety-arousing dreams during REM.
• Night Terrors: Intense arousal and panic during NREM.
• Somnambulism: Sleepwalking.

Dreams and Dreaming

• Dreams: Experiences during sleep, often familiar, day's residue, spillover.
• Western/non-Western Interpretations: Vary.
• Males tend to have happier dreams.

Why Do We Dream?

• Wish fulfillment (Freud): "Royal road to the unconscious."
• Activation-synthesis (Hobson & McCarley): Random neural activity.
• Information-processing (Cartwright): Problem-solving.
• Crick and Mitchison: "Time out" theory.

Recreational Drugs: Terms of Reference

• Psychoactive drugs: Affect cognition and behavior.
• Substance abuse: Use that compromises normal functioning.
• Tolerance: Decrease in response to drugs.

Psychoactive Drugs

• Narcotics (opioids): Pain relieving (e.g. morphine).
• Sedatives: Sleep inducing (e.g. barbiturates).
• Stimulants: Increase CNS activity (e.g., cocaine).
• Hallucinogens: Distort sensory and perceptual experiences(e.g. cannabis, alcohol, MDMA).

Drugs & Synaptic Transmission

• Drugs: Affect neurotransmitters affecting: synthesis, release, binding, inactivation, reuptake.
• Amphetamines: Affects release and reuptake of monoamines (increases dopamine and norepinephrine levels).
• Cocaine: Blocks re-uptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.
• Synergistic effect: Combined effect greater than individual effects (e.g., alcohol/sedatives).

Reward Pathway

• Increased dopamine release: Principle source of reinforcement in the brain.
• Pathway: Mesolimbic dopamine pathway (midbrain to medial forebrain bundle).

Explore the intriguing world of consciousness in this quiz based on Chapter 5 of your psychology text. Delve into the levels of awareness proposed by thinkers like James and Freud, and discover the physiological indicators of consciousness through EEG readings and brain waves. Test your understanding of biological rhythms, sleep patterns, and the mechanisms of the biological clock.