INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION SLIDES
FOR INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY
Consciousness
Our awareness of ourselves
and our environment
Paying Attention
Selective Attention
The focusing of conscious
awareness on a particular
stimulus
Video:
Visual Attention:
There’s a Gorilla on the Court
Biological
Rhythms
 Circadian rhythm –
the regular bodily
rhythm that occurs
over a 24-hour
period; the biological
clock
 Regulated by the
suprachiasmatic
nucleus, which
responds to light and
triggers the pineal
gland to decrease
melatonin
Video:
Circadian Rhythms
Video Review
 Circadian rhythms are known to produce
“highs and lows” of mental acuity that vary
throughout the day. In what ways can you use
this information to improve efficiency in your
lives?
 Does our North American “nine to five” model
fit what we now know about circadian rhythms?
Do other cultures handle this better?
REM (rapid-eyemovement) Sleep
 “Dreaming” sleep
 Freud’s Theory of
Dreams – dreams allow
us to fulfill desires which
can’t be fulfilled in reality.
 Manifest and Latent
Content
 Activation Synthesis
theory – dreams are
brains attempt at creating
meaning from random
neural activity.
The Effects of
Sleep Deprivation
 Fatigue
 Impairment of
concentration, creativity,
communication
 Can lead to obesity,
hypertension, suppressed
immune system
 Can lead to irritability and
slowed performance
Clip_127_SleepDeprivation.mov
Video:
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation:
Three Brave Souls
Video Review
 What factors in
contemporary society
make people vulnerable
to suffering from sleep
deprivation?
 Are you sleep-deprived?
If so, how does it affect
your daily living?
 Are you a morning
person (a lark) or an
evening person (an
owl)? In what ways does
being a lark or an owl
make a difference?
Sleep Disorders
Insomnia
Narcolepsy
Sleep apnea
Night terrors
Sleepwalking
Video:
Sleep Terror Disorder
Video Review
 Have you known anyone
who has suffered from
sleepwalking or night
terrors? What are the
dominant characteristics of
these disorders?
 How should parents deal
with children who refuse to
sleep in their own beds?
How should Holly’s
parents deal with her?