PSY201

Ch5:Consciousness
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Chapter 5consciousness: body rhythms and mental

states
Chapter Outline
I. BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS: THE TIDES OF EXPERIENCE
A. Biological rhythms
1. Regular fluctuations in biological systems
2. Endogenous rhythms--occur in absence of external cues
B. Circadian rhythms
1. Endogenous rhythms that occur every 24 hours
2. Exist in plants, animals, insects, and humans
3. Can be studied by isolating subjects from environmental time cues
4. The bodys clock
a. Circadian rhythms controlled by a master biological clock located in the
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus
b. SCN regulates neurotransmitters and hormones which provide feedback to the SCN
and affect its functioning
c. Melatonin, a hormone regulated by the SCN, responds to light-dark
5. When the clock is out of sync
a. Internal desynchronization--a state in which biological rhythms are not in phase
(synchronized) with one another
b. Cycles are affected by environmental and individual factors (e.g., jet lag, night-shift
workers)
c. Bright lights may be used to help re-synchronize body rhythms
C. Moods and long-term rhythms
1. Does the season affect moods?
a. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
(1) depression during winter months only
(2) deficiency of melatonin
b. Bright light treatment and negative ion exposure treatment effective in alleviating
symptoms of SAD
2. Does the menstrual cycle affect moods?
a. First half of the cycle, estrogen increases; midcycle, ovaries release egg, then
progesterone increases; if conception does not occur, estrogen and progesterone
levels fall
b. Feelings of PMS versus true PMS
(1) Many women experience cramping, breast tenderness, water retention, etc., and
many report feeling moody
(2) However, true PMS includes predictable emotional symptoms of depression and
irritability

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(3) True PMS affects less than 5% of the female population

(4) Retrospective reports differ across the menstrual cycle, but daily reports of mood
across the menstrual cycle do not
II. THE RHYTHMS OF SLEEP
A. The Realms of Sleep
1. Ultradian cycle occurs, on average, every 90 minutes
a. Non-REM stages
(1) 1 - small, irregular brain waves; light sleep
(2) 2 - high-peaking waves called sleep spindles
(3) 3 - delta waves begin; slow with high peaks
(4) 4 - mostly delta waves and deep sleep
(5) Normal sleep cycle: 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1, Rapid Eye Movement (REM)
b. REM sleep
(1) Active brain waves
(2) Increased heart rate and blood pressure, limp muscles, twitching
(3) Dreaming
c. REM and non-REM sleep cycle throughout the night
d. The purpose of REM sleep is unclear
B. Why we sleep
1. Sleep is recuperative for the body
2. The mental consequences of sleeplessness
a. Sleep deprivation affects attention, creativity, stress levels
b. Sleep disorders resulting in daytime sleepiness:
(1) Sleep apnea
(2) Narcolepsy
3. The mental benefits of sleep
a. Memory consolidation and enhanced problem solving are improved
III. EXPLORING THE DREAM WORLD
A. Characteristics of Dreams
1. Focus of attention is inward
B. Dreams as unconscious wishes (Freud)
1. Royal road to the unconscious
2. In dreams we express unconscious wishes, desires (usually sexual or violent in nature)
3. Freudian dream interpretation
a. Manifest content--what we experience and remember
b. Latent content--hidden, symbolic; unconscious wishes
4. Many people disagree with Freuds interpretations
C. Dreams as efforts to deal with problems
1. Problem-focused approach in which dreams convey true, not symbolic, meaning
2. Dreams reflect ongoing conscious preoccupations of waking life
3. Dreams often contain material related to current concerns
4. Some believe dreams provide an opportunity for resolving problems
D. Dreams as thinking

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1. Physiological and information-processing approach

2. Unnecessary neural connections are eliminated and important ones are strengthened
3. Associated with consolidation
4. Dreams are the remains of the sorting, scanning, and sifting process
E. Dreams as interpreted brain activity
1. Activation-synthesis theory
a. Dreams are the result of neurons firing spontaneously in the lower brain (in the pons)
that are sent to the cortex
b. Signals from pons have no meaning, but the cortex tries to synthesize them
c. Accordingly, dreams should be bizarre and disjointed in terms of their meaning
2. Critics say sometimes dreams do make meaningful sense
F. Evaluating dream theories
1. No single theory explains all facets of dreaming
2. All approaches account for some of the evidence
IV. THE RIDDLE OF HYPNOSIS
A. Hypnosis
1. Procedure in which the practitioner suggests changes in the sensations, perceptions,
thoughts, feelings, or behavior of the subject
2. Suggestions involve performance of an action
3. Compliance with suggestions feels involuntary
B. The nature of hypnosis
1. Responsiveness depends more on person being hypnotized than hypnotists skill
2. Participants cannot be forced to do things against their will
3. Hypnotic inductions increase suggestibility but only to a modest degree; people accept
suggestions with and without hypnosis
4. Hypnosis does not increase memory accuracy; it can increase amount of information
remembered, but it also increases errors
5. Does not produce a literal re-experiencing of long-ago events
6. Hypnosis has been effective for medical and psychological purposes
C. Theories of hypnosis
1. Dissociation theories
a. Like lucid dreaming and simple distractions, hypnosis involves dissociation, a split in
consciousness in which one part of the mind operates independently of the rest of
consciousness
b. Several theories of dissociation attempt to explain the state
c. These theories fit well with recent research and brain theories
2. The sociocognitive approach
a. The effects are a result of the interaction between the hypnotist and the abilities,
beliefs, and expectations of the participant
b. Individual plays the role of a hypnotized person without faking
c. This role, like others, is so engrossing, it is done without intent
d. Individual uses imagination and fantasy to fulfill the role requirements
V. CONSCIOUSNESS-ALTERING DRUGS

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Ch5:Consciousness
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A. Altering Mood and Consciousness

1. Efforts to alter mood and consciousness appear to be universal
2. During the 1960s, people sought to produce altered states of consciousness
B. Classifying Drugs
1. Psychoactive drugs -- substance affecting perception, mood, thinking, memory, or
behavior
by changing the bodys biochemistry
2. Classifying drugs
a. Stimulants
(1) Speed up activity in central nervous system
(2) Include cocaine, amphetamines, nicotine, caffeine, MDMA, Ritalin
b. Depressants (sedatives)
(1) Slow down activity in central nervous system
(2) Include alcohol, tranquilizers, barbiturates
c. Opiates
(1) Mimic endorphins
(2) Include opium, morphine, heroin, methadone
d. Psychedelics
(1) Alter perception
(2) Include LSD, mescaline, psilocybin
e. Anabolic steroids and marijuana--dont fit other classifications
C. Physiology of drug effects
1. Can produce cognitive or emotional effects
2. Repeated use of certain drugs can cause permanent brain damage
3. Some drugs lead to tolerance (needing more over time) and withdrawal (symptoms upon
removal of the drug)
D. Psychology of drug effects
1. Effects depend on a persons physical condition, experience with the drug, environmental
setting, and mental set
2. Alcohol may be used as an excuse for violent or other behavior
E. The drug debate
1. Often people fail to distinguish between drug abuse and drug use
2. Legality of drugs not always linked to dangerousness