Consciousness
AP Psychology
AP students in psychology should be able to do the following:
• Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior.
Conscious/Awake
Daydreaming
meditating
Under the
influence of
drugs
Sleeping
hypnosis
You can divide these states even further…
AP students in psychology should be able to do the following:
• Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior.
Conscious/Awake
is a vague concept that is usually defined by psychologists as the
awareness of our environment and ourselves.
Sensory
Awareness
• Sights, smells, sounds, etc.
• Environmental awareness and
reaction
Direct-Inner
Awareness
• Feelings and imagination (MIND)
• No sensory organs involved
Sense of
Self
• “I think ,therefore, I am”
• Aware that you are an individual
These are LEVELS of the conscious state…not STATES of consciousness!!
Not STATES 
Consciousness
Preconscious
Unconscious
Nonconscious
Sensory
awareness,
direct-inner
awareness,
sense of
self
Conscious processing
processes different
information
sequentially (Serial
Processing), thus
making Conscious
processing slow.
Not aware
now, but can
recall if you
have to
“subconscious”
Parallel
Processing is
“subconscious”
Unavailable
under most
circumstances
Passed out;
fainted, most
levels of
anesthesia
Basic
biological
functioning
(hair
growing,
pupils
adjusting)
A coma
AP students in psychology should be able to do the following:
• Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior.
Everyone fantasizes
Fantasizing (day dreaming) may help reduce stress, increase creativity, and even
prepare for future events.
But some 4% of the population fantasize so vividly
that they have a Fantasy-prone personality.
As adults they spend more than half their time
fantasizing, which eventually leads to difficulties
sorting fantasy from reality.
Getting way too “in” to something – Twilight –
false reality/expectations of relationships…can
play out in ACTUAL relationships.
AP students in psychology should be able to do the following:
• Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior.
• Discuss aspects of sleep and dreaming:
— stages and characteristics of the sleep cycle;
— theories of sleep and dreaming;
— symptoms and treatments of sleep disorders.
Circadian rhythm is our
“Biological clock”
that runs on a 24-hour day cycle.
But isolated individuals without
clocks or daylight usually adopt a
25-hour day cycle.
And if we experience jet lag from
travelling, our biological clock will
reset to adapt.
http://www.nigms.nih.gov/publications/factsheet_circadianrhythms.htm
— stages and characteristics of the sleep cycle;
Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioral changes that
follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and
darkness in an organism’s environment.
They are found in most living things, including animals, plants and
many tiny microbes.
— theories of sleep and dreaming;
Sleep Protects:
Sleeping in the darkness when predators loomed about kept our
ancestors out of harm’s way.
Sleep Recuperates:
Sleep helps restore and repair brain tissue.
Sleep Helps Remembering:
Sleep restores and rebuilds our fading memories.
Sleep and Growth:
During sleep, the pituitary gland releases growth hormone.
Older…release less of this hormone and sleep less
— stages and characteristics of the sleep cycle;
— stages and characteristics of the sleep cycle;
Falling asleep: release of ALPHA WAVES – slow & relaxing
Stage 1: Brief/ can be easily awakened
Experience hallucinations/flashing images/falling sensation/body jerks
Stage 2: ~20 minutes/still easy to wake
Characterized by bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain activity (sleep
spindles)
Stage 3: Transitioning to stage 4/hard to wake
Brain emitting large, slow DELTA WAVES
Stage 4: Deep sleep/hard & unpleasant to wake
Delta waves causing nearly paralytic stage (don’t hear, etc.)
After about 1.5 hours of sleep, our eyes
start to move rapidly and jerky
accompanied by increased brain activity.
This is called REM sleep
(Rapid Eye Movement).
The only time you dream is if you’re in
REM sleep, but you can be in REM sleep
and not dream.
After first sleep cycle, when
returning up to stage 2 sleep –
you enter R.E.M. sleep.
R.E.M. stages lengthen with each
cycle, then disappear as you
naturally wake.
Fact:
Everyone dreams;
the difference lies in whether they remember it or not
Freud’s wish-fulfillment
Information Processing
• To satisfy our unconscious drives and wishes
• To “sort out” the day’s events and file away
memories.
Physiological
• To develop and preserve neural pathways
• Provides brain with needed stimulation to prevent
awakening
Activation-synthesis
• To make sense of neural “static” (activity) – helps
“explain” to mind what brain is doing activating
different areas.
Cognitive development
• To show brain maturation and development;
practice current level of understanding/processing
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200504/why-we-dream
WHAT we dream:
(And we dream for 6 years)
Most common content of dreams (based on
recollection and brain activity) is an incorporation
of the previous days’ nonsexual experiences and
preoccupations
(Freud calls this the manifest content – he says it
covers up deeper meanings and desires…latent
content)
Sleep-deprived effects include:
suppressed immune systems, decreased creativity,
slight hand tremors, slow performance and
misperceptions on monotonous tasks.
BUT a sleep-deprived person does as well as anyone
on highly motivating tasks (running, arcade games)
Sleep helps us regenerate; our tissues are restored,
energy is conserved, and growth hormones are
released from pituitary
Most Common Sleep Disorders
Insomnia Narcolepsy
Sleep
apnea
Night
errors
— symptoms and treatments of sleep disorders.
"difficulty initiating or
maintaining sleep, or both"
Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone
diagnosis or a disease.
Most adults have experienced insomnia
or sleeplessness at one time or another in
their lives (30%-50% )
Treatment
Should be directed towards finding the cause.
10% have chronic insomnia.
In general, insomnia resolves when the
underlying trigger is removed or
corrected.
Seek medical attention when their
insomnia becomes more chronic
Manage and control the underlying problem,
as this alone may eliminate the insomnia.
Treating the symptoms of insomnia without
addressing the main cause is rarely successful.
— symptoms and treatments of sleep disorders.
Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder
Occurs when the brain cannot
normally regulate cycles of sleep and
waking. This can cause daytime
excessive sleepiness (ES) that results
in episodes of falling asleep suddenly.
It is estimated that narcolepsy affects 1 in
every 2000 Americans
There is no cure for narcolepsy – drug therapy can decrease the symptoms…hopefully
a drug to “trick” the brain will come out soon.
— symptoms and treatments of sleep disorders.
These episodes usually last 10 seconds or more
and occur repeatedly throughout the night.
People with sleep apnea will partially awaken
as they struggle to breathe, but in the morning
they will not be aware of the disturbances in
their sleep.
Sleep apnea is a common sleep
disorder characterized by brief
interruptions of breathing during
sleep.
Treatment:
Lifestyle changes, such as avoiding alcohol and medications that relax the central
nervous system (muscle relaxants), losing weight, and quitting smoking.
Special pillows or devices that keep them from sleeping on their backs, or oral
appliances to keep the airway open during sleep.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), in which a face mask is attached to a
tube and a machine that blows pressurized air into the mask and through the airway
to keep it open.
Surgical procedures that can be used to remove tissue and widen the airway.
• Describe historic and contemporary uses of hypnosis (e.g., pain control, psychotherapy).
Mesmerism :
Credit for the popularity of hypnosis goes to Franz Anton Mesmer, a
physician, who mistakenly thought he discovered “animal magnetism.”
Some of his patients experienced a trancelike
state and felt better upon waking up.
Transition between Mesmer's animal
magnetism and modern therapeutic
hypnosis was represented by James Braid,
who coined the term hypnosis in 1843.
The term refers to Hypnos, the Greek god
of sleep, because most forms of
mesmerism at that time involved the
production of an apparently sleep-like
condition.
• Describe historic and contemporary uses of hypnosis (e.g., pain control, psychotherapy).
a sleep like condition psychically induced, in
which the subject loses consciousness but
responds, with certain limitations, to the
suggestions of the hypnotist.
Aspects of Hypnosis :
Posthypnotic Suggestion:
Suggestion carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized.
Posthypnotic Amnesia:
Supposed inability to recall what one experienced during hypnosis.
Uses/Purpose:
1. Method of psychotherapy
(to change unwanted behavior)
2. Pain Control
(brain/mind focus on something else)
Those who practice hypnosis
agree that its power resides in
the subject’s openness to
suggestion.
Can anyone experience hypnosis?
Yes, to some extent.
Can hypnosis enhance recall of
forgotten events?
No.
Can hypnosis be therapeutic?
Yes.
Can hypnosis alleviate pain?
Yes.
Can hypnosis force people to act
against their will?
No.
Is Hypnosis an Altered State of
Consciousness?
Social Influence Theory:
Hypnotic subjects may simply be
imaginative actors playing a social
role.
Divided Consciousness Theory:
Hypnosis is a special state of
dissociated (divided) consciousness
• Discuss drug dependence, addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal.
Psychoactive Drug:
A chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood
(effects consciousness).
Dependence:
Continued use of a psychoactive drug produces tolerance.
With repeated exposure to a drug, the drug’s effect lessens. Thus
it takes greater quantities to get the desired effect.
Addiction:
Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is
characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite
harmful consequences.
Withdrawal:
Upon stopping use of a drug (after addiction), users may
experience the undesirable effects of withdrawal.
Absence of a drug may lead to a feeling of physical pain, intense
cravings (physical dependence), and negative emotions
(psychological dependence).
• Identify the major psychoactive drug categories (e.g., depressants, stimulants)
and classify specific drugs, including their psychological and physiological effects.
Psychoactive Drugs :
Depressants Stimulants Hallucinogens
Depressants :
are drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.
They include: Alcohol Barbiturates Opiates
Alcohol :
affects motor skills, judgment, and memory…and increases aggressiveness
while reducing self awareness.
Barbiturates :
Drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety
but impairing memory and judgment. Nembutal, Seconal, and Amytal are some
examples.
Opiates: Opium and its derivatives (morphine and heroin) depress neural
activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety. They are highly addictive.
• Identify the major psychoactive drug categories (e.g., depressants, stimulants)
and classify specific drugs, including their psychological and physiological effects.
Psychoactive Drugs :
Depressants Stimulants Hallucinogens
Stimulants :
are drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.
Caffeine Nicotine Cocaine Ecstasy Amphetamines Methamphetamines
Caffeine & Nicotine :
increase heart and breathing rates and other autonomic functions to provide energy.
Amphetamines :
stimulate neural activity, causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood
changes, with devastating effects.
Ecstasy :
or Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a stimulant and mild hallucinogen.
It produces a euphoric high and can damage serotonin-producing neurons, which results in a
permanent deflation of mood and impairment of memory.
Cocaine :
Cocaine induces immediate euphoria followed by a crash. Crack, a form of cocaine, can be
smoked. Other forms of cocaine can be sniffed or injected.
• Identify the major psychoactive drug categories (e.g., depressants, stimulants)
and classify specific drugs, including their psychological and physiological effects.
Psychoactive Drugs :
Depressants Stimulants Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens :
are psychedelic (mind-manifesting) drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory
images in the absence of sensory input.
LSD:
(lysergic acid diethylamide) powerful hallucinogenic drug (ergot fungus) that is also
known as acid.
THC
(delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol): is the major active ingredient in marijuana (hemp
plant) that triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR0rneaFego&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mod
e=1
SUBSTANCE
CONTINUED
HEAVY / REGULAR USE
IMMEDIATE EFFECTS
WAYS OF
TAKING
STIMULANT
Tobacco
Lasts ¼ - 2 hours. Increased heart & Heart & lung disease, cancer, high blood
pulse rate
pressure, bronchitis & breathing difficulties
Caffeine
Lasts 2 - 4 hours. Increased
alertness. Large doses can delay
sleep.
Amphetamine
Speed
Lasts 4 - 8 hours. Highly stimulating.
Inability to sleep, restlessness, headaches,
Excitement, increased activity &
aggression. Can cause severe mental or
decreased appetite. Larger doses
emotional disturbances.
delay sleep.
Cocaine Crack
MDMA
Ecstasy
Smoking
Restlessness, upset stomach. Can be harmful
Oral
for people with heart problems.
Snorting
Injecting Anally
Oral
Loss of concentration & motivation.
Can last up to 4 hours. Feeling of
Snorting
Dizziness, aggression & mental disturbances.
self confidence & power, increased
Injecting Oral
Can cause psychiatric complications. Snorting
energy & decreased appetite.
Anally
can lead to tearing of the nasal wall.
Can last up to 6 hours. Increased
blood pressure, confidence & a
feeling of closeness with others.
Sensation of floating, anxiety,
nausea & paranoia can occur.
Sensation of floating & other disturbed
perceptions. Can cause convulsions,
irrational behaviour, insomnia, depression.
Oral Injecting
Anally
SUBSTANCE
CONTINUED
HEAVY / REGULAR USE
IMMEDIATE EFFECTS
WAYS OF TAKING
DEPRESSANT
Alcohol
Slurred speech, loss of inhibitions,
relaxation, feelings of happiness &
wellbeing or depression. Large doses can
cause unconsciousness or hangover.
Can result in brain & other nervous systems damage,
heart, pancreas, stomach & liver damage &
Oral
sometimes death. Withdrawal can produce sweating,
tremor, convulsions & delirium.
Minor
tranquillisers
Valium, Rohypnol,
Serepax
Lasts 12 - 24 hours. Relief of anxiety &
tension, drowsiness (possible sleep), lack of
muscle coordination, blurred vision. In
some cases excitability.
Depression, lack of muscle and speech coordination.
Withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia,
Oral Injecting
tremor & convulsions can also occur while on a stable Anally
dose.
Opoids
Heroin,
Lasts 4 - 24 hours. Relief of pain & anxiety,
feelings of wellbeing, decreased awareness High risk of overdose; HIV and hepatitis if sharing
Oral Injecting
of outside world. Vomiting, drowsiness & needles. Withdrawal symptoms are anxiety, sweating,
Smoking Snorting
sleep in some. High doses can cause
cramps, runny nose, vomiting, insomnia, pain.
unconsciousness & death.
Cannabis
Marijuana
Can last up to 5 hours. Relaxation, laughter,
increased appetite, slowing down of time, Respiratory complications. Can decrease
loss of concentration, decreased
concentration & memory. Psychiatric problems
coordination & blood shot eyes. Can be
possible if schizophrenic condition already exists.
hallucinogenic
Oral Smoking
Inhalants &
Solvents
Petrol, Glue,
Aerosol cans,
Butane Gas
Lasts 1min - 3 hours. Petrol sniffing
effects up to 6 hours. Feelings of
happiness, excitement, relaxation &
Liver, kidney & brain damage can result. Suffocation
drowsiness. Half have illusions. Headaches
caused by plastic bags, choking on vomit.
& irritation common. Large amounts can
cause illness & unconsciousness. Butane &
aerosols may cause sudden death.
Inhalation
HALLUCINOGEN
Lasts 6 - 12 hours.
Hallucinogens Hallucinations ie
LSD
seeing, hearing,
Magic
feeling or thinking
mushrooms
things that don't exist.
DMT
Anxious feelings,
Psydelic
panic, & nausea can
occur.
Injecting
Can increase the risk of severe
mental disturbances. Can cause
'flashbacks' (where the drug
experience can recur at anytime.)
Oral
HIV and hepatitis B & C infection can occur if sharing injecting
equipment. Injecting with dirty syringes can cause abscesses and blood
poisoning.
New Injecting equipment should be used every time.
• Identify the major figures in consciousness research (e.g., William James, Sigmund Freud,
Ernest Hilgard).
William James
Sigmund Freud
Ernest Hilgard