Download Consciousness and Information Processing: Levels, Functions, and Sleep and more Study notes Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! Chapter 6
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Consciousness and Information Processing Consciousness –our awareness of ourselves and our environment (as we walk around, we notice/are aware of things) • Phenomenology – study of individual consciousness that addresses subjective experience • Problem of other minds – b/c the nature of consciousness is internal, a person can’t possibly determine how similar or different another person’s perceptions are to his own Levels of consciousness • Altered states of consciousness - state characterized by bizarre, disorganized, or dreamlike thought patterns • Minimal consciousness – fragmented connection between self and environment in which a person might respond to a stimulus w/o being aware if it at a more thoughtful level • Full consciousness – aware of his own environment and can report it • Self consciousness – most self-aware state; allows a person to focus on his individual self Sleep Sleep stages – sleep progresses in stages and cycles Stage one and two • Beta waves - awake • Alpha waves – awake • Theta waves • Hypnagogia – film between awake and sleep. Transitory period. Jerk when you’re about to sleep awake. Muscles contract all day. At night they relax w/o your awareness. When you’re aware, you jerk • K-complexes and sleep spindles – bursts of activity during sleep. Seen in stage 2. eventually evolve to become theta waves Sleep Sleep stages • Stage three and stage four – as cycles progress, we need less of these stages Delta waves – long big waves – sleep Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep – right under surface of consciousness, where we have wacky dreams Stimuli awareness and learning • Hypnopaedia – idea that we can learn in our sleep. Behaviorly, yes, by delivering shocks; but not cognitively • Purpose of sleep – need 8 on average • Sleep needs and patterns – we can adapt to 4 hrs but it’ll hurt us in the long run Nonsomniacs – can get by on 4 hrs. don’t require. No effects
Awake Stage 1 Stage 2
Sleep • Sleep deprivation Dangers of sleep deprivation – aging, car accidents, etc • Sleep disorders Insomnia Narcolepsy – sleep attacks • Hypocretin – treatment Sleep apnea – periods of interrupted breathing during sleep restless sleep Night terrors – occur when you’re younger generally. Keep screaming in sleep – different from nightmares Sleep Deprivation and Accidents
Canadian Traffic Accidents, 1991 and 1992
Less sleep,
more accidents
Spring time change Fall time change
(hour sleep lost) (hour sleep lost)
E Monday before time change B Monday after time change
Source: Adapted from Coren, 1996.
Dreams Dreams – sequences of images, feelings, ideas and impressions that pass through our minds as we sleep Dream content • Manifest content – content that we can recall later b/c it’s related to something that happened • Lucid content – dreams that we’re aware that we’re having
