Psychology Ch. 5
Body Rhythms and Mental States
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- Thinking
- Interpretation that focuses on dreams with a cognitive approach. Dreaming emphasizes current concerns, but is simply a modification of cognitive activity that occurs when awake. Most likely to dream about topics that occupy our waking thoughts.
- Individual factors
- Psycholgical drug effects are affected by these, which include body weight, metabolism, state of emotional arousal, personality, and tolerance. Effects may vary during time of day, due to circadian rhythms.
- Sleep
- Provides a time-out period for the body to eliminate waste products from muscles, repair cells, strengthen the immune system, and recover abilities lost during the day.
- Dissociation Theory
- Theory of hypnosis that involves dissociation--a split in consciousness in which one part of the mind operates independently from the rest of consciousness. One part of the mind is a "hidden observer," and the hypnotized part is unaware of the observer.
- Psychoanalytic
- Interpretation that expresses dreams as unconscious wishes. Freud concluded dreams provide insight into desires, motives, conflicts, etc. Every dream is meaningful no matter how absurd. People, thoughts, and objects are transformed into symbolic images. The contents of the dream must be distinguished from the unconscious wishes being expressed. However, not everything is necessarily symbolic.
- 1
- Stage of nREM sleep with small, irregular brain waves. Light sleep/edge of consciousness. Fantasies or visual images may be recalled if awakened.
- Psychoactive Drugs
- Capable of influencing perception, mood, cognition, or behavior by changing the body's biochemistry. Used to alter consciousness, as part of rituals, for recreation, for psychological escape, or to decrease pain or discomfort.
- Opiates
- Drugs that relieve pain. Include opium, morphine, heroin, and synthetic drugs like methadone. Mimic endorphins, have powerful effect of emotions. May produce euphoria and may decrease anxiety and motivation.
- 2
- Stage of nREM sleep involving sleep spindles. Short bursts of rapid, high-peaking waves. Minor noises won't disturb sleeper.
- Experience
- Drug effects are affected by this, which is the number of times a person has taken the drug.
- Circadian Rhythms
- Biological rhythms that occur about every 24 hours. Help humans adapt to changed caused by the Earth rotating on its axis.
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Vague cluster of physical and emotional symptoms, associated with the days preceding menstruation. Women often have physical symptoms during menstruation, but very rarely have emotional symptoms. Many women believe they have this disorder because they associate intense feelings with it, but overlook that their moods may also be absent during this.
- Depressants
- Drugs that slow down CNS activity. Include alcohol, tranquilizers, barbiturates, and chemicals people inhale/"huff." Cause feelings of calm or happiness, drowsiness, and may reduce anxiety, guilt, tension, and inhibitions. Can produce insensitivity to pain, and can also cause convulsions, irregular heartbeat, or death in large amounts.
- Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
- Tiny, teardrop-shaped cluster of cells in the hypothalamus that acts as a biological clock and coordinator. Regulates fluctuating levels of hormones and neurotransmitters and receives feedback from them to affect functioning.
- Exogenous
- Rhythms that are affected by external factors like temperature, time, sunlight, are this. These external factors can, in turn, affect circadian rhythms, like the sleep-wake cycle.
- Infradian Rhythms
- Cycles that have greater periods than one day. Ex: menstrual cycle.
- Mental Set
- Drug effects may be affected by this, which includes expectations about the drugs effects and the reasons for taking it.
- Hypnosis
- Procedure in which a practitioner suggests changes in the sensations, perceptions, thoughts, feelings, or behavior of the subject. The subject, in turn, tries to alter their cognitive processes in accordance with the suggestions.
- Endogenous
- Biological rhythms that are generated from within and occur even in the absence of external time cues are this. Ex: emotion, behavior.
- Environmental Setting
- Drug effects are affected by this, which is the context in which one takes the drug. Ex: drinking with friends.
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Controversial disorder in which a person experiences depression during winter months and improved mood during spring. Can be treated using phototherapy, using bright light and high levels of negative ions.
- Biological Rhythms
- Periodic, regular fluctuations in a biological system.
- Psychedelic Drugs
- Drugs that disrupt normal thought processes, such as perception of time and space. Sometimes produce hallucinations. Include lysergic, LSD, or mushrooms (mescaline, psilocybin). A "trip" may be pleasant, or a nightmare.
- REM sleep
- Sleep periods characterized by eye movement, loss of muscle tone, and vivid dreams. Last for about 20 minutes and recur about every 90 minutes.
- Consolidation
- This causes synaptic changes associated with recently stored memories become durable and stable.
- Internal Desychronization
- May occur when circadian rhythms are thrown off balance (routine changes). Ex: jet lag, new sleep patterns, etc.
- 3
- Stage of nREM sleep involving Delta waves. Very slow waves with high peaks. Breathing and pulse slow down, muscles are relaxed, harder to wake up.
- 4
- Stage of nREM sleep where sleep is at its deepest. Delta waves have taken over completely. Sleepwalking may occur during this stage. It will take loud noises or vigorous shaking to awaken the sleeper.
- Sociocognitive Theory
- Theory of hypnosis stating it results from interaction between the social influence of the hypnotist and the abilities, beliefs, and expectations of the subject. The hypnotized person is playing a role that has analogies in ordinary life. The "hidden observer" reacts to social demands of the situation and the hypnotist's suggestions. The subjects try to fulfill requirements of the role they are put into by weaving in events, places, and people from present life and picking up on experimenter cues.
- Consciousness
- Awareness of oneself and the environment.
- Problem-Solving
- Interpretation that states dreams reflect the ongoing conscious preoccupations of life; concerns over work, health, sex, etc. The symbols in dreams CONVEY meaning and are more likely to reflect a person's current concerns. Some believe dreams can help us solve problems.
- Tolerance
- Occurs over time, when more of a drug is needed to produce the same effects.
- Entrainment
- Synchronization of biological rhythms with eternal events, such as changes in time, temperature, and daylight.
- Withdrawl
- Symptoms that occur when a drug user stops taking a drug.
- Ultradian Rhythms
- Recurrent cycles repeated throughout a day. Include sleep stages, hormonal release, regulation of heart rate, etc.
- Non-REM sleep
- Divided into 4 distinct stages.
- Activation-Synthesis
- Interpretation of dreaming that states dreams are the result of neurons firing rapidly in the lower brain, in the pons, during REM sleep. Signals are sent to the sensory and motor cortex; They try to make sense of the signals and synthesize them into coherent interpretations, along with knowledge and memories.
- Stimulants
- Drugs that speed up CNA activity. Include nicotine, caffeine, cocaine, amphetamines/"uppers," and "crank/speed." Produce feelings of excitement, confidence, well-being, or euphoria. Can casue anxiousness, jitters, hyperalertness, convulsions, heart failure, or even death, in large amounts.