Psychology Chapter 4 summary

explain why we sleep

Adaptive theory states that sleep evolved as a way to conserve energy and keep animals safe from predators that hunt at night

Differentiate between the different levels of consciousness

Altered states of consciousness are shifts in the quality or pattern of mental activity

identify commonalities and differences in the content of people's dreams.

Calvin Hall believed that dreams are just another type of cognitive process that occurred during sleep, called the cognitive theory of dreaming.

Define what it means to be conscious

Consciousness is a person's awareness of everything that is going on at any given moment. Most waking hours are spent in waking consciousness.

Distinguish between physical and psychological dependence upon drugs.

Drugs that are physically addictive cause the user's body to crave the drug. When deprived of the drug, the user will go through physical withdrawal.

identify the effects and dangers of using hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are stimulants that alter the brain's interpretation of sensations, creating hallucinations. Three synthetically created hallucinogens are LSD, PCP, and MDMA.

compare and contrast two views of why hypnosis works.

Hilgard believed that a person under hypnosis is in a state of dissociation, in which one part of consciousness is hypnotized and susceptible to suggestion, while another part is aware of everything that occurs

Explain how hypnosis affects consciousness.

Hypnosis is a state of consciousness in which a person is especially susceptible to suggestion

compare and contrast two explanations of why people dream.

Manifest content of a dream is the actual dream and its events. Latent content of a dream is the symbolic content, according to Freud.

Identify the different stages of sleep

N1 (NREM Stage 1) sleep is light sleep

describe the biological process of the sleep - wake cycle.

Sleep is a circadian rhythm, lasting 24 hours, and is a product of the activity of the hypothalamus, the hormone melatonin, the neurotransmitter serotonin, and body temperature.

differentiate among the various sleep disorders.

Sleepwalking and sleeptalking occur in N3 sleep, during slow-wave sleep.

Identify the effects and dangers of using stimulants

Stimulants are drugs that increase the activity of the nervous system, particularly the sympathetic division and the central nervous system.

Describe how the workings of our consciousness can explain "supernatural" visitations

Vivid, realistic hallucinations that occur in N1 (NREM Stage 1) sleep are called hypnogogic hallucinations and are often misinterpreted as ghosts or other supernatural visitations

Identify the effects and dangers of using depressants

barbiturates, also known as major tranquilizers, have a sedative effect and are used as sleeping pills.