Psychology 101Marina Sangkavichai

To be conscious means to be aware. Consciousness is a person’s

awareness of everything that is going on around him or her at any given moment, which is used to organize behavior including thoughts, sensations, and feelings.

Altered States of Consciousness: change in quality and pattern of mental activity. Samples: fatigue, delirium, hypnosis, drugs, euphoria, sleep, dreaming, awake

We spend an average of 25 years of our

life asleep!

A student talks on a hands-free cell phone while operating a high-tech driving simulator. The simulator was used during a University of Utah study that found motorists who talk on cell phones while driving are as impaired as drunken drivers with blood-alcohol levels at the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Sleep is an innate biological rhythm that can never be entirely ignored.

Our bodies roughly synchronize with the 24 hour cycle of day and night through a biological clock called the CIRCADIAN RHYTHM.

The circadian rhythm also regulates when we sleep and when we’re awake and body temperature.

Melatonin is a hormone secreted deep within the hypothalamus in an area called the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

The SCN is sensitive to changes in light. As daylight fades, the SCN tells the pineal

gland to secrete melatonin. As melatonin accumulates you begin to

feel sleepy.

Our bodies follow this internal clock called the circadian rhythm.

Our body temperature rises as morning approaches, peaks during the day; dips for a time in early afternoon ( when people take naps ) and then begins to drop again before we go to sleep.

Recent evidence suggests that thinking is sharpest and memory most accurate when people are at their daily peak in circadian arousal.

Some of us are morning loving “larks”. Some of us are evening energized “owls”. Most university students are “evening persons.” This shifts as we grow older. We go from “owls”

to “larks.” Find out what works best for you! Use this to

your advantage.

Sleep is as basic to us as breathing Sleep deprivation. Four days or more

without sleep is hell for anyone. The record for the most days without sleep is held by Randy Gardner—he went 11 days without sleep.

Interesting, sleep loss can be reversed by a single nights rest.

People who experience sleep loss have trouble paying attention, staying alert, and doing simple tasks.

In an experiment at the University of Chicago, rats who were deprived of sleep died.

Sleep deprivation psychosis: confusion, disorientation, delusions, hallucinations…this is not common.

Adaptive theory aka Circadian theory of sleep proposes that animals and humans evolved sleep patterns to avoid predators by sleeping when predators are most active. If a prey animal is in a cave somewhere sleeping at night, it won’t be an evening snack.

Restorative theory proposes that sleep is necessary to the physical health of the body and serves to replenish chemicals and repair cellular damage. It restores body and mind

Long sleepers/9hrs or more Majority of people sleep 7 to 8 hours. The range is 5 hours to 11 hours! People vary in how much sleep they need

The afternoon sleepiness most people feel is a natural part of the sleep cycle. Between

1:00-4:00pm our body temperature drops. It’s quite appropriate to take naps.

We go through these stages every night Stage 1- You first enter light sleep. Heart

rate slows down. Muscles of your body relax. This may trigger a reflex muscle contraction throughout the body called a hypnic jerk.

You may also experience hypnagogic images. They look like flashes of light and bits of pieces of what may eventually turn into dreams.

Stage 2 of sleep-sleep deepens. Body temperature drops. Sleep spindles are recorded on the EEG. Machine used to record brain waves during sleep.

Stage 3-Sleep deepens and delta waves appear. Deeper sleep and further loss of consciousness

Stage 4- Deepest sleep. Sleeper in oblivion. Growth hormones are released. Children are very hard to awaken in this stage because they are still growing.

After some time in stage four, person will go back up through stage three, stage two, and then into REM sleep.

Body temperature increases, eyes move rapidly under eyelids, heart beats faster and brain activity signals wakefulness.

This is where dreams happen 90% of the time.

REM paralysis: inability of the voluntary muscles to move during REM sleep.

Babies do move during REM When babies are REM sleep, they are

forming new neural connections. Much brain growth and development is taking place.

We cycle back to stage 3, 2, 1 throughout the night. Our sleep cycle usually ends with a dream.

When people are dreaming, many experience REM which is RAPID EYE MOVEMENTS. Sleepers eyes occasionally move under eyelids. This is is associated with dreams. Brain very active!

Insomnia-difficulty in getting to sleep or staying asleep.

Narcolepsy-sudden attacks of sleep, person may fall asleep while standing, talking or even driving. ( video Narcolepsy news segment)

Sleep apnea- breathing stops for 20 seconds to 2 minutes, as the need for oxygen becomes intense person wakes up and gulps in air. Extremely sleepy from waking up all the time. Snores loudly

Psychodynamic theory-Freud believed dreams reflect a persons wishes and desires. Thus a student who is angry at a teacher might dream of embarrassing the teacher in class, a lonely person may dream of romance or a hungry child food.

Very weak evidence however. Dreams show few signs of directly expressing hidden wishes. Flying desiring more freedom.

Dream symbols/not direct/all in the interpretation

Dreams do however reflect our concerns.

The Activation Synthesis Hypothesis: an attempt to explain how dream content is affected by motor commands in the brain that occur during sleep but not carried out.

Random firing of nerve cells that control motor commands and brain is trying to make sense of it all by retrieving past memories and producing a dream.

So for example, the nerve cell responsible for balance is being triggered during REM and instead of acting it out, brain produces a dream in which one is falling.

Smell and taste nerve cells are not activated during dreams.

What are the causes of insomnia and list possible solutions.

Please research strategies on how to improve ones sleep.

An altered state of consciousness characterized by narrowed attention and increased suggestibility.

Hypnotized people generally remain in control of their behavior and aware of what is going on.

How are people hypnotized on stage? People are usually cooperative on stage

because they don’t want to spoil the act. Selection of responsive subjects/They

choose those who are going to follow instructions

Hypnosis label disinhibits: you can sing, dance or act silly because being hypnotized takes away personal responsibility

The hypnotist as “director”-as volunteers loosen up and respond to a few suggestions, they are stars of the show. They’ll ham it up.

Rigidly suspend a person between 2 chairs-anyone can do this!

Psychoactive drugs are chemicals that change perception and moods.

There are legal and illegal drugs: alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, caffeine, diet pills, sleeping pills, vicodin, etc.

Some drugs, of course, have a higher potential for abuse than others. For example, heroin is certainly more dangerous than caffeine.

Experimental: short term use based on curiosity. Bill Clinton who didn’t inhale.

Social recreational: occasional social use for pleasure or relaxation. For example, social drinkers.

Situational: use to cope with a specific problem, such as needing to stay awake. I.e. taking alert pills to drive through the night, or steroids for athletes.

Intensive: daily use with elements of dependence. I.e. using sleeping pills to get to bed

Compulsive: intense use and extreme dependence. Doing whatever it takes to get your next “fix”. Not being able to stop.

For a high, to feel euphoria, to escape pain, calm their nerves, to deal with personal problems, cure boredom, to fit in, ( Go Ask Alice )

Dopamine-a rush of pleasure ( cocaine ) Len Bias, basketball player for Boston

Celtics, tried cocaine at 22 and died from Cardiac arrest.

Marijuana produces a sense of euphoria or well being, relaxation, altered time sense, and perceptual distortions.

High dosages paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions can occur

The effects of marijuana have been inconclusive but it has been linked to:

Impaired memory Precancerous changes in living cells Temporarily lowers sperm production in

males Can suppress body’s immune system Some loss of coordination

Sigmund Freud used cocaine and wrote about its “euphoric” properties. Some say it caused his wild imagination

Died at age 83 from cigars which he was heavily addicted to.

Coca Cola had cocaine in it until 1906. Cocaine: stimulant extracted from leaves of

the cocoa plant. Alertness, euphoria, well-being power,

dozen of non-prescription potions and cure alls contained cocaine.