Psych Chapter 4

consciousness

a concept with many meanings, including sensory awareness of the world outside, direct inner awareness of one's thoughts and feelings, personal unity, and the waking state

circadian rhythm

a cycle that is connected with the twenty-four-hour period of the earth's rotation

stimulant

a drug that increases activity of the nervous system

depressant

a drug that lowers the rate of activity of the nervous system

mindfulness meditation (MM)

a form of meditation that provides clients with techniques they can use to focus on the present moment rather than ruminate about problems

barbiturate

an addictive depressant used to relieve anxiety or induce sleep

hydrocarbons

chemical compounds consisting of hydrogen and carbon

nonconscious

descriptive of bodily processes, such as growing hair, of which we cannot become conscious

psychoactive substance

drugs that have psychological effects such as stimulation or distortion of perceptions

unconscious

in psychodynamic theory, descriptive of ideas and feelings that are not available to awareness

preconscious

in psychodynamic theory, descriptive of material that is not in awareness but can be brought into awareness by focusing one's attention

repression

in psychodynamic theory, the automatic (unconscious) ejection of anxiety- evoking ideas, impulses, or images from awareness

direct inner awareness

knowledge of one's own thoughts, feelings, and memories without the use of sensory organs

secondhand smoke

smoke from the tobacco products and exhalations of other people; also referred to as passive smoking

amphetamines

stimulants derived from alpha-methyl-beta-phenyl-ethylamine, a colorless liquid consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen

sleep apnea

temporary absence or cessation of breathing while sleeping

suppression

the deliberate, or conscious, placing of certain ideas, impulses, or images out of awareness

selective attention

the focus of consciousness on a particular stimulus

transcendental meditation (TM)

the simplified form of meditation brought to the United States by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and used as a method for coping with stress

activation-synthesis model

the view that dreams reflect activation of cognitive activity by the reticular formation and synthesis of this activity into a pattern

narcolepsy

a "sleep attack" in which a person falls asleep suddenly and irresistibly

hypnosis

a altered state of consciousness in which people are highly suggestible and behave as though they are in a trance