Sleep & Dreaming (College Board AP® Psychology): Flashcards
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- FrontConsciousness
Define consciousness.
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Cards in this collection (47)
Define consciousness.
Consciousness is the awareness we have of ourselves, our internal states, and the environment around us.
Which brain structure regulates alertness and filters which stimuli reach conscious awareness?
The reticular activating system (RAS) regulates alertness and filters which incoming stimuli reach conscious awareness.
Define preconscious level of consciousness.
The preconscious level holds information not currently in awareness but easily brought to mind when needed, such as your home address.
Which level of consciousness involves automatic processing below awareness, such as driving a familiar route?
The subconscious level involves mental processing that occurs below conscious awareness and influences behavior without deliberate attention.
Define unconscious level of consciousness.
The unconscious level refers to mental activity and physiological processes, such as regulating breathing during sleep, that are generally inaccessible to conscious awareness.
Consciousness exists on a ________________, rather than being an all-or-nothing state.
Consciousness exists on a continuum, rather than being an all-or-nothing state.
Define altered state of consciousness.
An altered state of consciousness is any condition that differs significantly from normal waking awareness.
What are the four categories of causes of altered states of consciousness identified in the CED?
Altered states of consciousness can be caused by biological, pharmacological, psychological, and environmental factors.
True or False?
Meditation-induced altered states of consciousness are viewed as spiritually significant in all cultures.
False.
Cultural context shapes this: some cultures value meditation-induced states as spiritually significant, while others view them as unusual or undesirable.
What can disruption to the reticular activating system (RAS) cause?
Disruption to the RAS through injury, toxins, or medical conditions can cause reduced alertness, fatigue, or coma.
People often assume their current state of consciousness is more normal than it actually is, due to a __________________________.
People often assume their current state of consciousness is more normal than it actually is, due to a cognitive bias.
Define circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm is the body's internal biological clock that regulates the sleep and wake cycle across a roughly 24-hour period.
Which brain structure coordinates the circadian rhythm by regulating melatonin release?
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus coordinates the circadian rhythm by regulating melatonin release from the pineal gland.
Define jet lag.
Jet lag is fatigue, impaired concentration, and disrupted sleep caused by a mismatch between the internal clock and the external environment after rapid travel across time zones.
True or False?
Afternoon napping is a culturally accepted practice in some Mediterranean and Latin American cultures.
True.
This practice reflects a natural dip in the circadian rhythm in the early afternoon.
How many times does a full sleep cycle typically repeat per night?
A full sleep cycle typically repeats four to six times per night, with the proportion of REM sleep increasing across cycles.
NREM Stage 3, also called slow wave sleep, produces slow, high amplitude __________ waves on an EEG.
NREM Stage 3, also called slow wave sleep, produces slow, high amplitude delta waves on an EEG.
Define hypnagogic sensations.
Hypnagogic sensations are vivid sensory experiences, such as the feeling of falling or brief visual images, that occur while transitioning into Stage 1 sleep.
Why is REM sleep described as paradoxical?
REM sleep is paradoxical because brain activity is high, similar to wakefulness, while the body's voluntary muscles are temporarily paralyzed.
Define memory consolidation theory of sleep.
Memory consolidation theory proposes that sleep, particularly REM sleep, organizes, consolidates, and strengthens memories formed during wakefulness.
According to restoration theory, what happens in the body during deep NREM sleep?
According to restoration theory, the body repairs tissue, synthesizes proteins, and releases growth hormone during deep NREM sleep.
What evidence supports memory consolidation theory?
People who sleep after learning perform significantly better on memory tests than those who remain awake, supporting memory consolidation theory.
A full sleep cycle lasts approximately __ minutes.
A full sleep cycle lasts approximately 90 minutes.
Define insomnia.
Insomnia is a persistent difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early, despite having adequate opportunity for sleep.
What distinguishes chronic insomnia from acute insomnia?
Chronic insomnia lasts three months or longer, while acute insomnia is short-term and triggered by stress or life events.
True or False?
Narcolepsy and insomnia both involve difficulty staying asleep at night.
False.
Insomnia involves difficulty falling or staying asleep, whereas narcolepsy involves sudden, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during waking hours.
Define narcolepsy.
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during waking hours.
A deficiency of which neurotransmitter is associated with narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is associated with a deficiency of hypocretin, also called orexin, which regulates wakefulness and arousal.
Sudden, temporary muscle weakness triggered by strong emotions such as laughter is called ________________.
Sudden, temporary muscle weakness triggered by strong emotions such as laughter is called cataplexy.
Define REM sleep behavior disorder.
REM sleep behavior disorder is a condition in which the normal muscle paralysis of REM sleep fails, causing a person to physically act out their dreams.
Which neurodegenerative condition is REM sleep behavior disorder most associated with?
REM sleep behavior disorder is associated with Parkinson's disease and is more common in older adults.
True or False?
It is dangerous to wake a sleepwalker during an episode of somnambulism.
False.
Waking a sleepwalker is not dangerous, although the person may be disoriented and confused upon waking.
Define obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when throat muscles relax and block the airway during sleep, causing breathing to repeatedly stop and restart.
Which stage of sleep is somnambulism associated with?
Somnambulism involves abnormalities of movement and behavior during deep NREM Stage 3 sleep, typically in the first third of the night.
How might co-sleeping practices affect the diagnosis of somnambulism?
In cultures where co-sleeping is the norm, another person is present to observe episodes, increasing the likelihood that somnambulism is diagnosed.
Define dream.
A dream is a sequence of images, thoughts, emotions, and sensations experienced during sleep, most commonly during REM sleep.
Who proposed activation-synthesis theory?
Activation-synthesis theory was proposed by Hobson and McCarley in 1977.
Define activation-synthesis theory.
Activation-synthesis theory argues that dreams have no inherent meaning and are the brain's attempt to make sense of random neural activity during REM sleep.
True or False?
PET scan studies show the prefrontal cortex is highly active during REM sleep, supporting activation-synthesis theory.
False.
PET scans show the limbic system and visual cortex are highly active during REM sleep, while the prefrontal cortex is relatively inactive.
What is a key limitation of activation-synthesis theory?
Activation-synthesis theory cannot account for meaningful dream content that often reflects waking concerns and emotionally significant events.
Define consolidation theory of dreaming.
Consolidation theory proposes that dreaming, particularly during REM sleep, serves a functional role in memory processing and emotional regulation.
People deprived of REM sleep show impaired performance on __________ tasks the following day, supporting consolidation theory.
People deprived of REM sleep show impaired performance on memory tasks the following day, supporting consolidation theory.
Why is it difficult to establish causation in consolidation theory research?
The relationship between dreaming and memory consolidation is correlational, so memory consolidation may occur during REM sleep without dreaming being the active mechanism.
True or False?
The psychoanalytic theory of dreaming, including manifest and latent content, is assessed on the AP Psychology exam.
False.
Freud's psychoanalytic theory of dreams, including manifest and latent content, is explicitly excluded from the AP Psychology exam.
How do non-Western cultures commonly interpret the significance of dreams?
Many non-Western cultures consider dreams to carry spiritual or prophetic meaning, conflicting with activation-synthesis theory's claim that dreams are meaningless.
Why might researchers' understanding of typical dream content be skewed?
People are more likely to remember emotionally vivid or bizarre dreams, a cognitive bias that can skew researchers' understanding of typical dream content.
The frequency and duration of REM sleep increases as the night progresses, so later sleep cycles are associated with more vivid and frequent __________.
The frequency and duration of REM sleep increases as the night progresses, so later sleep cycles are associated with more vivid and frequent dreams.
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