Psych Ch. 5 Vocab

Global brain work-space

An assembly of neurons that are thought to work in cooperation to produce the subjective sense of consciousness

Simon Baron-Cohen

An expert on autism; believes that we are born with a brain mechanism that is ready to develop a theory of mind and that autistic individuals lack a well-developed theory of mind->leads to social deficits

Social-intuitionist model of moral reasoning

Model that claims that we often make moral decisions based on automatic, emotional reactions

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Sleep apnea may be a factor; the unexpected sleep-related death of an infant less than one year old; confirmed with an autopsy that reveals no specific cause of death; possible explanation: abnormality in the brain stem areas responsible for arousal->lead to sleep apnea-> worsen brain stem damage-> lead to death

CPAP Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Sends pressurized air through a mask to prevent the airway from collapsing

Somniloquy

Sleep talking; people are soundly asleep

Theta waves

Slower in frequency and greater in amplitude than alpha waves

Controlled Processes

The most alert states of human consciousness, during which an individual actively focuses their efforts toward a goal; slower than automatic processes and more likely to involve pre-frontal cortex; practicing makes it become more automatic and faster

Tolerance

The need to take increasing amounts of a drug to get the same effect

Physical dependence

The physiological need for a drug causes unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as physical pain and a craving for the drug when it is discontinued

Arousal

The physiological state of being engaged with the environment; determined by the reticular activation system

Metacognition

The process by which we think about thinking; our awareness of the fringe elements of the conscious stream; can impact our thought process

Jet lag

The result of two or more body rhythms being out of sync

Delta waves

The slowest and highest amplitude brain waves during sleep

Psychological dependence

The strong desire to repeat the use of a drug for emotional reasons, such as a feeling of well-being and reduction of stress

Incubation

The subconscious processing that leads to a solution to a problem after a break from conscious thought about the problem

Electroencephalograph (EEG)

Used to monitor the brain's activity, such as with the two stages of wakefulness and five stages of sleep

Desynchronous

Waves that do not form a very consistent pattern

External Stimuli

all those things we see, hear, and respond to

Sleep eating

eating while sleeping and not realizing it

Sleep

A natural state of rest for the body and mind that involves the reversible loss of consciousness

Reticular activation system

A network of structures including the brain stem, medulla, and thalamus

Sleep debt

An accumulated level of exhaustion

Synchronous

Regular waves

Serotonin, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine

3 important neurotransmitters involved in sleep

Default collection

A collection of neurons that are active during waking mind wandering and daydreaming, especially whenever we are not focused on a task

Fatal familial insomnia (FFI)

A disorder caused by a genetic mutation, involving a progressive inability to sleep. Over time the person sleeps less and less, becomes agitated, engages in strange motor movements, and is confused. The person may hallucinate and enact dreams. Has no known cure, and it leads to death, typically about 18 months after symptoms appear. The disorder can be difficult to diagnose and may be mistaken for other neurological disorders such as dementia or psychological disorders that include hallucinations. This unusual condition demonstrates the vital restorative power of sleep, and highlights the role of the thalamus in sleep because in cases of this disorder the thalamus shows enormous damage.

Autism

A disorder that affects communication and social interaction

Alcoholism

A disorder that involves long-term, repeated, uncontrolled, compulsive, and excessive use of alcoholic beverages and that impairs the drinker's health and social relationships

Nightmare

A frightening dream that awakens a dreamer from REM sleep; content involves danger; is common, especially in young children; peak at 3 to 6 years of age and then decline, although the avg. college student experiences four to eight of these a year; Reported increases in these or worsening things are often associated with an increase in life stressors such as the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or conflicts with others.

Melatonin

A hormone that increases at night in humans and has possible effects in reducing jet lag

Ellen Galinksy

A noted researcher on cognitive development- Common situations of cognitive control: making a real effort to stick with a task and avoid interfering thoughts; stopping and thinking before acting to avoid blurting our something regrettable; continuing to work on something that is important but boring when there's other fun things to do

Addiction

A physical or psychological dependence, or both, on a drug

Alcohol

A powerful drug; acts on the body primarily as a depressant and shows down the brain's activities; the brain areas involved in inhibition and judgment slow down; activities that require motor skills such as driving becoming harder to perform; eventually the drinker will fall asleep; with extreme intoxication the person can lapse into a coma and die; women are more likely to be strongly affected than man; goes to the VTA and NAcc; increases the concentration of the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid(GABA)

Sleep apnea

A sleep disorder in which individuals stop breathing because the windpipe fails to open or because brain processes involved in respiration fail to work properly. People with this sleep disorder experience numerous brief awakenings during the night so that they can breathe better, although they usually are not aware of their awakened state. During the day, these ppl may feel sleepy because they were deprived of sleep at night. A common sign is loud snoring, punctuated by silence. Affects approximately 18 million Americans. Most common among infants and adults over the age of 65. Also occurs more frequently among obese individuals, men, and individuals with large necks and recessed chins. Untreating this disorder can cause high blood pressure, stroke, and sexual dysfunction. Daytime sleepiness can result in car accidents, lost productivity and relationship problems. Most commonly treated by weight-loss programs, side sleeping, propping the head on a pillow, or wearing a device called a CPAP

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

A small brain structure that uses input from the retina to synchronize its own rhythm with the daily cycle of light and dark; the body's way of monitoring the change from day to night; sends info to the hypothalamus and pineal gland to regulate daily rhythms such as temp, hunger, and the release of hormones such as melatonin, and also communicates with the reticular formation to regulate daily rhythms of sleep and wakefulness; the most important biological clock involved in regulating circadian rhythms

Daydreaming

A state of consciousness that involves a low level of conscious effort; lies between active consciousness and dreaming while asleep; "dreaming while we are awake"; usually begin spontaneously when we are doing something that requires less than our full attention

Ambien

A widely prescribed sleep medication for insomnia; Dr. Mark Mahowald confirmed that sleep eating may be a side effect of using Ambien

Latent Content

According to Freud, a dream's hidden content; it's unconscious and true meaning

Unconscious thought

According to Freud, a reservoir of unacceptable wishes, feelings, and thoughts that are beyond conscious awareness; now widely accepted by psychologists

Manifest content

According to Freud, the surface content of a dream, containing dream symbols that disguise the dream's true meaning

"Fringe" of the stream of consciousness

All of the thoughts and feelings that we have ABOUT our thoughts

Cocaine

An illegal drug that comes from the coca plant, native to Bolivia and Peru; is either snorted or injected in the form of crystals or powder- used this way, it floods the bloodstream rapidly, producing a rush of euphoric feelings that lasts for about 15 to 30 minutes. Because the rush depletes the brain's supply of the neurotransmitter dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, an agitated, depressed mood usually follows as the drug's effects decline; crack is a potent form of this- consisting of chips of pure __ that are usually smoked. Crack is one of the most addictive substances known; treatment of addiction is difficult; its addictive properties are so strong that 6 months after treatment, more than 50 percent of abusers return to the drug, a statistic that highlights the importance of prevention

Consciousness

An individual's awareness of external events and internal sensations under a condition of arousal.

Caffeinism

An overindulgence in caffeine; characterized by mood changes, anxiety, and sleep disruption; develops in people who d rink 5 or more cups of coffee each day; common symptoms are insomnia, irritability, headaches, ringing ears, dry mouth, increased blood pressure, and digestive problems

Awareness

Awareness of the self and thoughts about one's experience; the subjective state of being conscious of what's going on

Desynchronized

Biological clocks can be thrown off their regular schedules

Sleep spindles

Brief high-frequency waves

Altered States of Consciousness

Can be produced by drugs, trauma, fatigue, possibly hypnosis, and sensory deprivation

Subconscious awareness

Can occur when people are wake, as well as when they are sleeping and dreaming

non-Rem sleep

Characterized by a lack of rapid eye movement and little dreaming

Cytokines

Chemicals produced by the body's cells while we are fighting an infection that are powerfully sleep-inducing

Mary Carskadon

Conducted studies on adolescent sleep patterns. She found that when given the opportunity, adolescents will sleep an average of 9 hours of sleep, especially during the week. This shortfall creates a sleep debt that adolescents often attempt to make up on the weekend. Found that older adolescents tend to be sleepier during the day than younger adolescents. Theorized that this sleepiness was not due to academic work or social pressures. Research suggests that adolescents' biological clocks undergo a shift as they get older, delaying their period of wakefulness by about an hour ->caused by delay in nightly release of sleep-inducing hormone melatonin

Circadian rhythms

Daily behavioral or physiological cycles that involve the sleep/wake cycle, body temperature, blood pressure, and blood sugar level

Stage 4 sleep

Deep sleep when sleeper is difficult to rouse; delta waves occur; delta sleep; delta waves occuring more than 50 percent of the time; neurotransmitters reach their lowest levels

Stage 2 sleep

Deeper sleep characterized by occasional "sleep spindles," lasting up to 20 minutes. Muscle activity decreases, and the person is no longer consciously aware of the environment; light stage of sleep, don't report being asleep at all

Barbiturates

Depressant drugs, such as Nembutal and Seconal, that decrease central nervous system activity

Tranquilizers

Depressant drugs, such as Valium and Xanx, that reduce anxiety and induce relaxation

Stanilas Dehaene

Described awareness as occurring in a global brain work-space that involves a variety of brain areas working in parallel

Psychoactive drugs

Drugs that act on the nervous system to alter consciousness, modify perception, and change mood

No awareness

Freud's belief that some unconscious thoughts are too laden with anxiety and other negative emotions for consciousness to admit them

Beta waves

High-frequency and low amplitude patterns that reflect concentration and alertness

Lower-Level Consciousness

Includes automatic processing that requires little attention, as well as daydreaming

Psychoactive drugs

Increase dopamine levels in the brain's reward pathways; this reward pathway is located in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc)

Serotonin and norepinephrine

Increase the level of forebrain activity nearly to the awakened state

Theory of mind

Individuals' understanding that they and others think, feel, perceive, and have private experiences

Acetylcholine

Initiates REM sleep; activates the cerebral cortex while the rest of the brain remains relatively inactive

High-Level Consciousness

Involves controlled processing, in which individuals actively focus on their efforts on attaining a goal; the most alert state of consciousness

Stage 1 sleep

Light sleep lasting up to 10 minutes; includes theta waves (low frequency, low amplitude); ex: fighting to stay awake in class; light stage of sleep, don't report being asleep at all

Alpha waves

Lower frequency and higher amplitude patterns associated with being relaxed and drowsy

Nicotine

Main psychoactive ingredient in all forms of smoking and smokeless tobacco; highly addictive; stimulates the brain's reward centers by raising dopamine levels; behavioral effects include improved attention and alertness, reduced anger and anxiety, and pain relief; tolerance develops; withdrawal produces strong, unpleasant symptoms such as irritability, craving, inability to focus, sleep disturbance, and increased appetite- withdrawal symptoms can last for months or longer; poses a much larger threat to public health than illegal drugs

Normal cycle of sleep

One cycle lasts about 90 to 100 minutes and recurs several times during he night. The amt. of deep sleep (stages 3&4) is much greater in the first half o fa night's sleep than second half. REM sleep takes place toward the end of a night's sleep when REM stage becomes progressively longer. Individuals will spend about 60 percent of sleep in light sleep (stages 1&2), 20 percent in delta or deep sleep, and 20 percent in REM sleep

Utilitarian moral stance

One that considers the greatest good for the greatest number

Opiates

Opium and its derivatives; narcotic drugs that depress the central nervous system;s activity and eliminate pain

Biological rhythms

Periodic physiological fluctuations in the body, such as the rise and fall of hormones and accelerated and decelerated cycles of brain activity, that can influence behavior; these rhythms are controlled by biological clocks, which include annual or seasonal cycles

William James

Person who used the stream of consciousness to describe the continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts, and feelings.

Stage 3 sleep

Progressively more muscle relaxation and emergence of delta waves; lasts up to 40 minutes; delta sleep; delta waves occurring less than 50 percent of the time

Stimulants

Psychoactive drugs - including caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, and cocaine - that increase the central nervous system's activity

Hallucinogens

Psychoactive drugs that modify a person's perceptual experiences and produce visual images that are not real

Depressants

Psychoactive drugs that slow down mental and physical activity. Among the most widely used are alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers, and opiates

REM Sleep

Stage 5 sleep; Instead of reentering stage 1 sleep, the individual shows EEG patterns similar to those of relaxed wakefulness; most vivid dreaming occurs in this stage; lasts for about 10 minutes in first sleep cycle of the night and up to 1 hour in the last; rapid eye movement occurs; initiated by a rise in acetylcholine; end when tehreis a rise in serotonin and norepinephrine

Automatic Processes

States of consciousness that require little attention and do not interfere with ongoing activities; require less conscious effort than controlled processes

Myoclonic jerks

Sudden muscle movements during Stage 1 such as head jerking upward

Stream of Consciousness

Term used by William James to describe the mind as a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts, and feelings.

Cognitive control

The capacity to maintain attention by reducing by reducing interfering thoughts and being cognitively flexible

Delta sleep

The deepest sleep, the time when our brain waves are lest like our brain waves while we are awake; most difficult time to wake sleepers; stage when bedwetting (in children), sleepwalking, and sleep talking occur; when awakened from this stage, people are usually confused and disoriented

Somnambulism

The formal term for sleepwalking, which occurs during the deepest stages of sleep (stages 3&4) usually early in the night when a person is unlikely to dreaming; more likely to occur when individuals are sleep deprived or when they have been drinking alcohol; it's safe to awaken sleep walkers

Insomnia

The inability to sleep; can involve a problem falling asleep, waking up during the night, or waking up too early; more common among women and older adults, as well as among individuals who are thin, stressed, or depressed

Executive function

The key aspect of controlled processing; High-order, complex cognitive processes, including thinking, planning, and problem-solving; a person's capacity to harness consciousness and focus in on specific thoughts while ignoring others

Narcolepsy

The sudden, overpowering urge to sleep. The urge is so uncontrollable that the person may fall asleep while talking or standing up; people of this disorder immediately enter REM sleep rather than progressing through the first four sleep stages; individuals with this disorder are often very tired during the day; can be triggered by extreme emotional rxns such as surprise, laughter, excitement, or anger; this disorder appears to involve problems with the hypothalamus and amygdala; usually emerges in adulthood, but signs of the problem may be evident in childhood

Caffeine

The world's most widely used psychoactive drug; a stimulant and natural component of the plants that are the sources of coffee, tea, and cola drinks; present in chocolate, in many nonprescription medications, and in energy drinks; affects the brain's pleasure centers; when ppl remove this, they experience headaches, lethargy, apathy, and concentration difficulties- these symptoms of withdrawal are usually mild and subside after several days

Cognitive Theory of dreaming

Theory proposing that dreaming can be understood by applying the same cognitive concepts used to study the waking mind; dreams should be viewed as a kind of mental simulation that is very similar in content to our everyday waking thoughts; the same themes that occupy us in our waking life occupy our dreams

Activation-synthesis theory of dreaming

Theory that dreaming occurs when the cerebral cortex synthesizes neural signals generated from activity in the lower part of the brain and that dreams result from the brain's attempts to find logic in random brain activity that occurs during sleep

Amphetamines

also called uppers; stimulant drugs that people use to boost energy, stay awake, or lose weight; often prescribed in the form of diet pills, these drugs increase the release of dopamine, which enhances the user's activity level and pleasurable feelings; prescription drugs for attention deficit disorder such as Ritalin are also stimulants, crystal methamphetamine is an example

MDMA (Ecstasy/X/XTC)

an illegal synthetic drug with both simulant and lalucinogenic properties; an "empathogen" because under its influence, users tend to feel warm bonds with others; produces its effects by releasing serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine; the effects of the drug on serotonin are particularly problematic- it depletes the brain of this important neurotransmitter, producing lingering feelings of listlessness that often continue for days after use; impairs memory and cognitive processing; destroys axons that release serotonin, so repeated use might lead to susceptibility to depression

Reticular formation

core of the brain stem; plays a crucial role in sleep and arousal; damage to it can result in coma and death; 5 sleep stages' distinctive patterns of neurotransmitter activity is initiated in this

Problem Drug Users

individuals whose drug habit interferes with their ability to engage in work and social relationships

Basal ganglia

involved in compulsive behaviors, may lead to a greater demand for alcohol, regardless of reason and consequences

Night terror

sudden arousal from sleep and intense fear; accompanied by a number of physiological rxns, such as rapid heart rate and breathing, loud screams, heavy perspiration, and movement; peak at 5 to 7 years of age, are less common than nightmares, and unlike nightmares, they occur during slow-wave stage 4 sleep.

crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth/crank/tina)

the most insidious illicit drug for contemporary society; smoked, injected, or swallowed, it is a synthetic stimulant that causes a powerful feeling of euphoria, particularly the first time it is ingested; made using household products such as battery acid, cold medicine, drain cleaner, and kitty litter, and its effects have been devastating, notably in rural areas of the U.S.; releases enormous amts. of dopamine in the brain, producing intense feelings of pleasure; highly addictive drug; the extreme high leads to a severe "come down" experience that is associated with strong cravings; damages dopamine receptors, so the addict is chasing a high that the person's brain can no longer produce; the Drug Enforcement Agency has started a website to share the hard facts of the horrific effects of this and other illicit substances