Psychology Unit 2

5. Explain three major theories of dreaming.

1) Freud's Dream Protection Theory: Dreams are disguised wishes;Little empirical support 2) Activation-SynthesisTheory: Dreams reflects inputs fromthe brain activation originating in the pons,which the forebrain then attempts to weave into a story. 3) Forebrain Theory: Deams are driven largely by the motivational and emotional control centers of the forebrain rather than the logical "executive" partsof the brain. 3) Neurocognitive Theory: Theory that dreams are a meaningful product ofour cognitive capacities,which shape what we dream about.

2. Identify the different stages of sleep and the neural activity and dreaming behaviors that occur in each.

5 stages-90 min cycles Stages 1-4: Non-REM: No eye movement, less dreams-shorter, more thought-like Stage 5: Quick eye movements, vivid dreams Stage 1: Very drowsy, transition into stage 2. Stage 2: Brain and heart waves slow down, body tempt decreases, muscles relax; Sleep spindles, K-Complexes Stage 3 and 4: Large amplitude waves become more frequent. REM Sleep (Paradoxical stage): The brain is most active. Vivid dreaming most often occurs-more dreams, emotional, illogical,biologically crucial

Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

A cluster of neurons in the hypothalamus that receives input from the retina regarding light and dark cycles and is involved in regulating the biological clock.

Circadian Rhythm

Cyclical changes that occur on a roughly 24-hour basis in many biological processes. (i.e., hormone release, brain waves, drowsiness, body tempt.)

3. Identify the features of insomnia and methods for overcoming insomnia.

Difficulty going to/staying asleep, or early waking. High rates with people who have depression, pain, medical conditions. Affect 9-15% of people. Usually due to stress, reltionship problems, illnes, and working late. Steps to cure: 1) Maintain a regular daily sleep schedule 2) Use the bedroom only for sleep and sex 3) Go to bed only when sleepy 4) Avoid daytime naps 5) Exercise daily before 3 PM

Biological Clock

Term for the suprachiasmatic (SCN) in the hypothalmus that's responsible forcontrolling our levels of alerrtness.

1. Explain the role of the circadian rhythm and how our bodies react to a disruption in our biological clocks

The circsdian rhythm is responsible for our daily biological processes such as hormone release, brain waves. body tempt, and drowsiness. Factors such as jet lag and working late shifts disrupt our biological clocks allowing us to not feel rested. This can lead to fatal accidents, health problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and other risk of injuries. Losing 1 night of sleep: irritability, edginess, and poor conceentration. Multiple: Depression, difficulties in learning,and slowed reaction times. More than 4: Dillusional, hear voices, and see things.

4. Describe the research on dream content.

Unsure why we dream but involved in: 1) Processing emotional memories 2) Intergrating new experiences with extablished memories 3) Reorganizing and consolidating memories 4) Learning new strategies and ways of doing things 5) Simulating threatening events so we can better cope with them in everyday life.

Insomnia

an inability to sleep

Non-REM

form of sleep with few eye movements, which are slow rather than fast

Malatonin

hormone released from the pineal gland that induces drowsiness

Consiousness

our awareness of ourselves and our envioroment

REM Sleep

rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active

Rapid Eye Movement (REM)

stage of sleep in which the eyes move rapidly under the eyelids and the person is typically experiencing a dream

REM Rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)

Activation-Synthesis Theory

the theory that dreams result from the brain's (forebrain) attempt to make sense of random neural signals that fire during sleep originating in the pons.

Neurocognitive Theory

theory that dreams are a meaningful product of our cognitive capacities, which shape what we dream about; childrens' dreams tend to be less emotional/serious than adults.