States of Consciousness Chapter 5 States of Consciousness These power point slides are to only be used as a means to take notes during Mrs. Bartolotti’s lecture. They are not to be reproduced in any way without the permission of the teacher. Also, the slides presented here are not to be the only means of studying for the chapter test. You will still need to read and take notes for both the reading and the lecture. Finally, please note, not all of the slides from Mrs. Bartolotti’s lecture are included in these slides; hey, some things have to be a surprise!

How is Consciousness Related to Other Mental Processes? Consciousness can take many forms, while other mental processes occur simultaneously outside our awareness

What Consciousness Does For Us Restricts our attention Combines sensation with learning and memory Allows us to create a mental model of the world that we can manipulate

How do we study consciousness? Roger Shepard and Jacqueline Metzler (1971) Proved how consciousness allows us to manipulate objects by asking people to identify if objects that were rotated were the same object. See page 161 – are all three objects the same?

How do we study consciousness? Stephen Kosslyn (1976) Said we could use our conscious minds to “zoom in,” like a camera of the details of our mental images.

Levels of Consciousness Present Awareness Conscious Just below awareness Subconscious No Conscious Processing Preconscious Nonconscious Nonconscious Past awareness No awareness Unconscious

What Cycles Occur in Everyday Consciousness? Consciousness changes in cycles that correspond to our biological rhythms and the patterns of stimulation in our environment

What Cycles Occur in Everyday Consciousness? Daydreaming – A common variation of consciousness in which attention shifts to memories, expectations, desires, or fantasies and away from the immediate situation

Sleep and Dreaming Circadian rhythms – Psychological patterns that repeat approximately every 24 hours The sleep cycle involves: REM sleep Non-REM (NREM) sleep REM-sleep deprivation leads to REM rebound

The Sleep Cycle

The Function of Sleep Possible functions of sleep include: To conserve energy To restore the body (neurotransmitters, neuron sensitivity) To build “neural nets” and flush out useless information from the brain

The Need for Sleep Over the years, the need for REM sleep decreases considerably, while the need for NREM sleep diminishes less sharply

Sleep Debt vs. The Circadian Clock Sleep debt – Deficiency caused by not getting the amount of sleep that one requires for optimal functioning

Why We Dream: A Cross-Cultural Perspective Folk theories Scientific approach Dreams as meaningful events Dreams as random brain activity

Dreams as Meaningful Events Freud believed dreams served the following two functions: To guard sleep To serve as sources of wish fulfillment Dream content Varies by culture, gender, and age Frequently connects with recent experience May help us form memories

Dreams as Random Brain Activity Activation-synthesis theory – Theory that dreams begin with random electrical activation coming from brain stem; dreams are brain’s attempt to make sense of this random activity

Sleep Disorders Insomnia – Involves insufficient sleep, the inability to fall asleep quickly, frequent arousals, or early awakenings Sleep apnea – Respiratory disorder in which person intermittently stops breathing while asleep

Sleep Disorders Narcolepsy – Involves sudden REM sleep attacks accompanied by cataplexy Cataplexy – Sudden loss of muscle control that occurs before narcoleptic sleep attack; waking form of sleep paralysis

Sleep Disorders Night terrors – The screaming of a child in deep sleep, who, once awakened, has no memory of what mental events might have caused the fear

What Other Forms Can Consciousness Take? An altered state of consciousness occurs when some aspect of normal consciousness is modified by mental, behavioral, or chemical means

What Other Forms Can Consciousness Take? Hypnosis Meditation Psychoactive drug states

Hypnosis Hypnosis – Induced state of altered awareness, characterized by heightened suggestibility and deep relaxation Hypnotizability – Degree to which an individual is responsive to hypnotic suggestions

Hypnosis As an Altered State Experts disagree about whether hypnosis involves A distinct state of consciousness Heightened motivation Social processes such as role playing A dissociate state (Hilgard’s “hidden observer” view)

Practical Uses for Hypnosis Hypnosis can have practical uses for Researchers Psychological treatment Medical and dental treatment Hypnotic analgesia – Diminished sensitivity to pain while under hypnosis

Meditation Meditation – Form of consciousness change induced by focusing on a repetitive behavior, assuming certain body positions and minimizing external stimulation

Psychoactive Drug States Psychoactive drugs – Chemicals that affect mental processes and behavior by their effects on the nervous system Hallucinogens Opiates Depressants Stimulants

Hallucinogens Alter perceptions of the external environment and inner awareness (also called psychedelics) Mescaline LSD PCP Cannabis

Opiates Highly addictive; produce a sense of well-being and have strong pain-relieving properties Morphine Codeine Heroin Methadone

Depressants Slow down mental and physical activity by inhibiting transmission of nerve impulses in the central nervous system Barbiturates Benzodiazepines (e.g. Valium) Alcohol

Stimulants Arouse the central nervous system, speeding up mental and physical responses Cocaine Amphetamines Methamphetamine MDMA (ecstasy) Caffeine Nicotine

End of Chapter 5 Congratulations! You did it! Now, how about checking out some of those study tools and resources on my website to show what you know! Practice makes perfect! 