Chapt. 3- Consciousness and the Two Track Mind (1) (1).pdf

Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Chapter Three: Consciousness and the Two- Track Mind Overview ▪ Brain States and Consciousness ▪ Sleep and Dreams ▪ Drugs and Consciousness ▪ Consciousness ▪ Awareness of self and environment ▪ Inattentional blindness INSADCO Photography/Alamy Macduf...

Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Chapter Three: Consciousness and the Two- Track Mind Overview ▪ Brain States and Consciousness ▪ Sleep and Dreams ▪ Drugs and Consciousness ▪ Consciousness ▪ Awareness of self and environment ▪ Inattentional blindness INSADCO Photography/Alamy Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Brain States and Consciousness ▪ Failure to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere. ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Dual Processing: The Two-Track Mind ▪ Dual processing ▪ Principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious (explicit) and unconscious (implicit) tracks ▪ Perceptions, memory, attitudes, and other cognitions are affected ▪ Blindsight awareness ▪ Condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images When the blind can “see” ▪ In this compelling demonstration of blindsight and the twotrack mind, researcher Lawerence Weiskrantz trailed a blind-sight patient down a cluttered hallway. ▪ Although told the hallway was empty, the patient meandered around all the obstacles without any awareness of them. Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Consciousness and Selective Attention ▪ Selective attention • Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus ▪ Parallel processing • Processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions ▪ Inattentional blindness ▪ Failing to see visible objects when attention is directed elsewhere. Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Selective Attention and Accidents ▪ Rapid toggling between activities is common today. ▪ Multitasking distracts brain resources allocated to driving; brain activity decreases average of 37 percent when conversation occurs. ▪ Cell-phone use increases accident risk fourfold. ▪ Crashes or near-crashes increase sevenfold when dialing or reaching for phone. Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images What Is Sleep? ▪ Sleep ▪ Periodic, natural loss of consciousness—as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation (Adapted from Dement, 1999). Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Why Do We Sleep? ▪ Sleep may have played a protective role in human ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ evolution by keeping people safe during potentially dangerous periods. Sleep also helps restore and repair damaged neurons. REM and NREM-2 sleep help strengthen neural connections that build enduring memories. Sleep promotes creative problem solving the next day. During deep sleep, the pituitary gland secretes a growth hormone necessary for muscle development. Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images How Sleep Deprivation Affects Us Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Major Sleep Disorders ▪ Sleep deprivation ▪ Causes fatigue and irritability ▪ Impairs concentration, productivity, and memory consolidation ▪ Can also lead to depression, obesity, joint pain, a suppressed immune system, and slowed performance with a greater vulnerability to accidents Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Major Sleep Disorders ▪ Insomnia ▪ Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep ▪ Narcolepsy ▪ Sudden uncontrollable sleep attacks, sometimes lapsing directly into REM sleep ▪ Sleep apnea ▪ Stopping of breathing while asleep; associated with obesity, especially in men ▪ Night terrors ▪ High arousal and appearance of being terrified ▪ Sleepwalking and sleeptalking Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Sleep Disorders Some Natural Sleep Aids Exercise regularly but not in the late evening. (Late afternoon is best.) Avoid caffeine after early afternoon, and avoid food and drink near bedtime. The exception would be a glass of milk, which provides raw materials for the manufacture of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that facilitates sleep. Relax before bedtime, using dimmer light. Sleep on a regular schedule (rise at the same time even after a restless night) and avoid long naps. Hide the time so you aren’t tempted to check repeatedly. Reassure yourself that temporary sleep loss causes no great harm. Focus your mind on nonarousing, engaging thoughts, such as song lyrics, TV programs, or vacation travel (Gellis et al., 2013). If all else fails, settle for less sleep, either going to bed later or getting up earlier. Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Tolerance and Addiction ▪ Tolerance ▪ With repeated use, the desired effect requires larger doses ▪ Addiction ▪ Compulsive craving of drugs or certain behaviors (such as gambling) despite known harmful consequences ▪ Withdrawal ▪ Discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images What Roles Do Tolerance, Withdrawal, and Addiction Play in Substance Use Disorders? ▪ Those with a substance use disorder may exhibit impaired control, social disruption, risky behavior, and the physical effects of tolerance and withdrawal. ▪ Psychoactive drugs alter perceptions and moods. ▪ They may produce tolerance—requiring larger doses to achieve the desired effect—and withdrawal—significant discomfort accompanying attempts to quit. ▪ Continued use may lead to addiction, which is the compulsive craving of drugs or certain behaviors (such as gambling) despite known adverse consequences. Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images When Is Drug Use a Disorder? Diminished Control 1. Uses more substance, or for longer, than intended 2. Tries unsuccessfully to regulate use of substance 3. Spends much time acquiring, using, or recovering from effects of substance 4. Craves the substance Diminished Social Functioning 5. Use disrupts commitments at work, school, or home 6. Continues use despite social problems 7. Causes reduced social, recreational, and work activities Hazardous Use 8. Continues use despite hazards 9. Continues use despite worsening physical or psychological problems Drug Action 10. Experiences tolerance (needing more substance for the desired effect) 11. Experiences withdrawal when attempting to end use Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images How Has the Concept of Addiction Changed? ▪ Concept of addiction ▪ Extended to cover many behaviors ▪ Degree and scope debated ▪ Addiction as disease needing treatment ▪ Offered for many driven, excessive behaviors that become compulsive and dysfunctional ▪ APA (2013) manual proposes further study of Internet gaming disorder Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Types of Psychoactive Drugs ▪ Depressants ▪ Drugs such as alcohol, barbiturates (tranquilizers), and opiates that calm neural activity and slow body functions ▪ Alcohol acts as disinhibitor ▪ Slows neural processing and potent sedative when paired with sleep deprivation ▪ Disrupts memory and has long-term effect on brain and cognition; impairs growth of synaptic connections ▪ Reduces self-awareness and self-control; produces myopia by focusing on arousing situation at expense of normal inhibitions and future consequence Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Depressants ▪ Barbiturates ▪ Depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment ▪ Can impair memory and judgment; potentially lethal when combined with alcohol ▪ Nembutal, Seconal, and Amytal ▪ Opiates ▪ Include opium and its derivatives, such as codeine, morphine and heroin; addictive ▪ Constricts pupils, slows breathing, causes lethargy ▪ Depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety ▪ Causes withdrawal when ingestion is stopped Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Stimulants ▪ Stimulant drugs ▪ Includes caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful amphetamines, cocaine, Ecstasy (MDMA), and methamphetamine that excite neural activity and speed up body functions ▪ Involves dilation of pupils, increase in heart and breathing rates, rise in blood sugar, and drop in appetite ▪ Often involves increase in energy and self-confidence Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Nicotine ▪ Is the stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco ▪ Signals the central nervous system to release a flood of neurotransmitters ▪ Diminishes appetite, boosts alertness and mental efficiency, calms anxiety, and reduces sensitivity to pain ▪ Involves challenging acute craving and withdrawal symptoms which contribute to relapse Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Where there’s smoke . . . The physiological effects of nicotine • Nicotine reaches the brain within 7 seconds, twice as fast as intravenous heroin. • Within minutes, the amount in the blood soars. Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Stimulants ▪ Cocaine ▪ Produces quick rush of euphoria ▪ Involves crash of agitated depression within 15 to 30 minutes after neurotransmitters drop ▪ Produces psychological effects depending on dosage and form consumed and user’s expectations and personality Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Stimulants Cocaine Methamphetamine • Produces quick rush of euphoria • Involves crash of agitated depression within 15 to 30 minutes after neurotransmitters drop • Produces psychological effects depending on dosage and form consumed and user’s expectations and personality • Is powerfully addictive Ecstasy (MDMA) • Is a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen • Produces euphoria, but with short-term health risks and longer term harm to mood and cognition Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Hallucinogens ▪ Hallucinogens ▪ Distorts perceptions and calls up sensory images without any input from the senses ▪ Marijuana ▪ Has leaves containing THC (delta- 9- tetrahydrocannabinol) which are smoked or eaten to produce increase sensitivity to colors, sounds, tastes, and smells; lingers in body longer ▪ Can also relax, disinhibit, impair motor and perceptual skills, and reaction time Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Hallucinogens ▪ LSD ▪ Powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid (lysergic acid diethylamide) HALLUCINATION OR NEARDEATH VISION? People under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs often see “a bright light in the center of the field of vision…” ▪ Interferes with serotonin neurotransmitter system Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Hallucination ▪ Marijuana and synthetic marijuana (K2 and Spice) ▪ Contains THC and produces mix of effects ▪ Relaxes, disinhibits, and may produce euphoria ▪ Is mild hallucinogen which amplifies sensory sensitivity, impairs motor coordination, perceptual skills, and reaction time ▪ Disrupts memory formation and immediate recall ▪ Impairs brain development with prenatal exposure ▪ Can linger in body for weeks Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Why Do Some People Become Regular Users of Consciousness-Altering Drugs? ▪ Some people may be biologically vulnerable to particular drugs, such as alcohol. ▪ Psychological factors (such as stress, depression, and hopelessness) and social factors (such as peer pressure) combine to lead many people to experiment with—and sometimes become addicted to—drugs. ▪ Cultural and ethnic groups have differing rates of drug use. ▪ Each type of influence—biological, psychological, and social-cultural—offers a possible path for drug misuse prevention and treatment programs. Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images A Guide to Selected Psychoactive Drugs Drug Type Pleasurable Effects Negative Aftereffects Alcohol Depressant Initial high followed by relaxation and disinhibition Depression, memory loss, organ damage, impaired reactions Heroin Depressant Rush of euphoria, relief from pain Depressed physiology, agonizing withdrawal Caffeine Stimulant Increased alertness and wakefulness Anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia in high doses; uncomfortable withdrawal Nicotine Stimulant Arousal and relaxation, sense of well - being Heart disease, cancer Cocaine Stimulant Rush of euphoria, confidence, energy Cardiovascular stress, suspiciousness, depressive crash Euphoria, alertness, energy Irritability, insomnia, hypertension, seizures Methamphetamine Stimulant Ecstasy (MDMA) Stimulant; mild hallucinogen Emotional elevation, disinhibition Dehydration, overheating, depressed mood, impaired cognitive and immune functioning LSD Hallucinogen Visual “trip” Risk of panic Marijuana (THC) Mild hallucinogen Enhanced sensation, relief of pain, distortion of time, relaxation Impaired learning and memory, increased risk of psychological disorders, lung damage from smoke Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images PEER INFLUENCE ▪ Kids don’t smoke if their friends don’t (Philip Morris, 2003). A correlation-causation question: Does the close link between teen smoking and friends’ smoking reflect peer influence? Teens seeking similar friends? Or both? Macduff Everton/The Image Bank/Getty Images Drug Prevention and Treatment Programs ▪ Educate young people about the long-term costs of a drug’s temporary pleasures. ▪ Help young people find other ways to boost their self-esteem and purpose in life. ▪ Attempt to modify peer associations or to “inoculate” youths against peer pressures by training them in refusal skills.