Consciousness

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Bachelor of Psychology Intro to Psychology Flashcards on Consciousness , created by megandee on 05/04/2014.
megandee
Flashcards by megandee, updated more than 1 year ago
megandee
Created by megandee about 10 years ago
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What is consciousness? It is everything we are aware of (thoughts, feelings, sensations) William James described it as a stream of thoughts and feelings. Freud described the unconsciousness as a part of consciousness just something at is not easily accessible and understandable.
What happens in a panic disorser? Its internal thing when we focus on something like heart rate and focus on it more panic set in by thought not environment
Where is consciousness? Consciousness there is no known region of the brain, more than likely its a neural network. Many believe if we study the parts of brain responsible for attentional processes, we would gain more insight to the consciousness.
The types of consciousness experience Focused, Drifted, Divided, Automation, Sleep and dream, Altered(drugs, meditation and hypnosis)
What is EEG EEG (Electroencephalograph) records activities in the cortex with a series of brain wave tracings that vary in amplitude and frequency. In the past EEG were used to measure variations of consciousness. Different patterns associated with different states of consciousness
Brain wave patterns divided into 4 different bands 1. Beta Waves- Alertness and problem solving. Alpha waves- resting and relaxation, blank mind and meditation. 3. theta waves- low alertness and light sleep. 4. delta waves - deep sleep
Sleep purpose 1. Protective function. 2. Conserves energy 3. Bolster immune system. 4. consolidates new learned info into lasting memories. 5. Restore bodily processes.
Sleep Lab EEG (Electroencephalograph) measures brain wave activity. EMG (Electromyograph) measures muscle activity, EOG (Elecrooculograph) eye movement. Breathing rate, heart rate and temperature
What is Circadian Rhythm? It is the 24hr biological cycle that regulates sleep and other bodily functions such as temperature and hormone release. For alertness, memory consolidation, short term memory, attention and decision making.
How does circadian rhythm work? Light decrease, effects retina, stimulates the supachiastmatic nucleus of hypothalamus, stimulates pituitary gland, secretes melatonin. Melatonin associated with regulation with biological clock. But if cues to light and dark are removed the rhythms remain even.
What happens in each 24 hour period? Within each 24hr period there are lost of fluctuation from hight to low points of certain bodily functions and behaviour
What is suprachiastmatic nucleus Tiny structures located in the brain hypothalamus and they control timing of circadian rhythms by secretion or superesion of melatonin
Jetlag and shiftwork Jetlag challenges the circadian rhythm because the light cues and bodily rhythms are synchronized. Flying East to west (longer day) is easier than West to East (shorter day). Shift work causes accidents, cv disease and less productivity, intervention includes melatonin, brighter lights and starting later rather than earlier.
Stages of sleep Stage 1. Transitional brief from alpha to theta waves 1- 7min. Stage 2. Mixed activity, bursts in high frequency (sleep spindles) Stage 3 - 4. K waves , slow wave sleep stay in stage 4 for 30 min. Stage 5. REM, EEG similar to when awake, vivid dreams, irregular pulse and breathing, hard to awake loss of muscle tone.
Different body functions in stages of sleep Stages 1-4, slow, regular heart beat and respiration rate. Little body movement, Brain activity and blood pressure at their lowest 24hr period point. Stage 5 sleep paralysis of large muscles, irregular fast breathing and heart beat, Brain activity increased, vivid dreams and rapid eye movement
Sleep deprivation Can only go 3-4 days without sleep. Both short and long sleep can increase mortality (sleep longer than 10 hours)
Effects of sionleep deprivation Sleep deprivation supression of neurological activity in temporal lobes, impaired attention, cognition speed and accuracy, decision making, loss of motor coordination and reaction time
Sleeping disorders 1. Insomnia - Difficulty falling asleep (younger adults), Staying asleep or waking early (older adults) , nacrolepsy when fall uncontrollable into REM sleep and Sleep apnea gasping for air while asleep
Sleep apnea Breathing stop whilst asleep, has to awake briefly in order to breathe again.
Narcolepsy Incurable, Excessive daytime sleepiness, falls in REM uncontrollably
Insomnia Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep and waking early. Sleep could be light, restless and of poor quality
Sleep Terrors Awaken suddenly in panic state with an increased in heart rate , and you fall asleep quite quickly. occurs during Stage 4 and cant be remembered
Nightmares Frightening dreams experienced in stage 5 (REM) sleep and dreams are quite vivid in memory
Somnambulism Sleep walking happens in stage 3 15% in children and 3% in adults, arousal occurs from stage 4. Not fully consciouss
Sleep Talking Any stage, mumble nonsentical phrases and words
Dreams Occur in REM sleep, vivid, story like, sometimes bizarre and real to the dreamer. Can occur in other stages but less frequent, not story like, less vivid and briefer
Why do we dream? Freudian Theory- Emotions are buried in the unconscious surface in disguised form and fragments of dreaming can help uncover these emotions. Wish Fulfillment, latent content and Manifest content. Problem solving theory- Dreams are used to sort out neccesary information that is needed for our immediate survival, thus dreams can provide us with useful information on how to problem solve. Activation synthesis model: Cortex tries to make sense of the random electrical discharges produced by the brainstem during sleep thus forming a storylike dream based on our memories and emotional associations.
Physical Dependance Continue to use a drug to avoid the withdrawal illness associated when we stop on our body. They symptoms can vary depending on type of drug.
Psychological Dependance Continue to take drug to satisfy intense mental and emotional cravings for the drug
Why do people abuse drugs Physical pleasure, personality factors, social and cultural factors
Factors that influence the effects of drugs Drugs can have different effects between people and within the same person at different locations. Age, Gender, Body weight, expectations, moods, personality, physiology, motivation and previous experience can impact the effects of drugs.
Why do people become addicted 1. Sensitization of pleasure and reward systems in brain= All drugs stimulates dopamine and mediate reward and pleasure. Drugs permanently alter dopamine by synthesizing them. Many people who abuse drugs more vulnerable to the effects. 2. Reduction of negative feelings= People who take drugs take more in order to reduce the negative effects/withdrawals. 3. Classical conditioning. Stimuli present when taking drugs people associate the stimuli with effects as a result craving occur when around stimuli
Tolerance People become tolerant because of psychological homeostasis, therefore people take more drugs for same experience. Neurotransmitter system adapt to oppose the drug
Hypnosis Systematic procedure that involves narrowing or focusing of attention. Typically produces heightened state of suggestibility and deep relaxation.
Hypnotist uses suggestibility to enhance changes in : Feelings, thoughts, perceptions, sensation and behaviour
Theories of Hypnosis 1. Sociocognitive Theory- People behave in ways they expected subjects to behave under hypnosis. 2. Neodissociation theory - Splits the aspects of the control of consciousness- planning function and monitoring function. 3. Theory of dissociation control- Hypnosis weakens the control that executive function exerts over the subsystems of the consciousness
Characteristics of people who can be hypnotised 1. Vivid imagination. Good developed fantasy life, believe in hypnosis and are forgetful
What is meditation Meditation is a practice that train attention to heighten level and bring mental processes under voluntary control
What do meditation do Techniques that allows one to focus attention on one particular thing, in order to block out distractions to enhance well being, and to achieve an altered state of consciousness. Good for depression, lower blood pressure, cholesterol, cardiovascular health.
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