Chapter 6A

Question 1

What is consciousness

Answer 1

consciousness can be defined as the awareness of our own thoughts, feelings and perceptions (internal events) and our surroundings (external stimuli) at any given moment. it is personal and private and difficult to measure or compare with others

Question 2

psychological construct of consciousness

Answer 2

There is no practical way to measure consciousness
objectively – we believe it exists but we can’t
measure it. Therefore, we call it a psychological
construct.
We can, however, measure its effects – both
objectively and subjectively.
We can measure electrical signals in the brain during
sleep (objective) or ask someone about their dreams
(subjective)

Question 3

consciousness is an experience that is

Answer 3

❑ An experience that is…
❑ Personal
❑ Selective
❑ Continuous
❑ Changing

Question 4

a continuum of consciousness

Answer 4

Our consciousness fluctuates throughout the day –
very alert sometimes, drowsy sometimes,
daydreaming sometimes.
There are two broad categories of consciousness –
normal waking consciousness and an altered state of
consciousness.

Question 5

two types of consciousness

Answer 5

• normal waking consciousness
• altered state of consciousness

Question 6

normal waking consciousness

Answer 6

NWC is a state that is:
Experienced when you are
awake and aware
Relatively organised thoughts
and perceptions
Meaningful and purposeful in
thoughts and behaviours
Realistic on our perceptions
and sensations

Question 7

altered state of consciousness

Answer 7

ASC is a state that is:
When we are not in NWC and distinctly different from NWC, it is usually when we are sleeping or daydreaming
Characterised by deviations in awareness, perceptions,
thinking, emotions, behaviours and self-control.
Naturally occurring or artificially induced
The result of drugs or alcohol, sleeping and daydreaming,
meditation or psychosis.

Question 8

states of consciousness

Answer 8

NATURALLY
OCCURRING
Sleep
Dreaming
Daydreaming

INDUCED
Alcohol-induced
Drug-induced
Hypnosis
Meditation
Anaesthetic

Question 9

what is sleep

Answer 9

Sleep is a naturally occurring altered state of
consciousness that we all experience every day.

Question 10

sleep results in

Answer 10

• Reduced ability to control behaviour
• Reduced control over thoughts
• reduced accuracy of time perception
• Perceptual and cognitive distortions

Question 11

characterisitics of sleep

Answer 11

• Level of awareness
• Content limitations
• Controlled and automatic processing
• Perceptual and cognitive distortions
• Emotional awareness
• Self-control
• Time Orientation

Question 12

level of awareness

Answer 12

We have very little awareness of our external environment, but we do have
some awareness

Question 13

content limitations

Answer 13

We have little conscious control over our thoughts as we sleep. The contents
of our dreams are often bizarre.

Question 14

Controlled and automatic processing

Answer 14

Performing tasks as we sleep is pretty impossible! However, somnambulists
(sleepwalkers) can sometimes carry out routine tasks when asleep

Question 15

Perceptual and cognitive distortions

Answer 15

Our perceptions are lowered and our thoughts are disorganised and
unrealistic

Question 16

emotional awarness

Answer 16

Our emotions can be more or less intense during sleep.

Question 17

self control

Answer 17

Lowered during sleep – we have little control over talking, snoring or teeth
grinding.

Question 18

time orientation

Answer 18

Perception of time is reduced but some evidence we are still somewhat
aware.

Question 19

types of sleep

Answer 19

There are two types of sleep
1. Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep

2. Non-rapid Eye movement (NREM) sleep

Question 20

rapid eye movement sleep

Answer 20

characterised by rapid eye movement, high levels of brain
activity, and low levels of physical activity. Specifically, REM sleep involves low levels of somatic nervous system
activity, meaning there are low levels of movement in this stage.

Question 21

non rapid eye movement sleep

Answer 21

characterised by a lack of rapid eye movement and is
subdivided into three different stages.

Question 22

Charactersitics of REM

Answer 22

• highly active brain and a less active body during REM sleep.
• The sleeper is virtually
  paralysed during REM sleep,
  meaning that most muscle
  movement is not possible.
• REM is light stage of sleep, easy to be woken up
• Vivid dreaming tends to occur during REM sleep.
• makes up 20-25% of sleep
• amount of REM sleep increases as the night progresses, it is at its highest towards end of the night

Question 23

Charactersistics of NREM

Answer 23

• The sleeper is considered to have a less active brain than normal waking consciousness.
• Muscle movement is possible for the sleeper during NREM sleep
• The sleeper does not frequently recall dreams when woken during NREM sleep.
• NREM sleep makes up
  approximately 75–80% of a sleep episode.
• As opposed to REM sleep,
  physical movement is possible in NREM sleep, therefore the body
  is said to be ‘more active’ in this stage of sleep. However,
  movement tends to decrease as NREM stages progress.
• Dreams can occur in NREM sleep but they are often non-vivid
• The amount of time spent in NREM sleep is highest during the first half of a sleep episode.
• NREM sleep tends to become shorter with each sleep cycle.
  NREM occurs in 3 stages.

Question 24

NREM stage 1

Answer 24

• When we move from being
  awake to being asleep we
  enter a hypnogogic state
  where we may experience
  flashes of light or
  hallucinatory images.
• We may also experience
  hypnogogic (hypnic) jerks –
  involuntary muscle twitches.
• It lasts for 30 seconds to 10
  minutes (5 minutes average)
  and we are easily awakened.
• Sometimes called pre-sleep.

Question 25

NREM stage 2

Answer 25

- Stage 2 is really when sleep begins. Our first stage 2 lasts for about 20 minutes. - It is easy to be woken up during stage 2 sleep. - Our eyes become still, our muscles relax and bodily arousal decreases. - This stage accounts for about 50% of a night’s sleep.

Question 26

NREM stage 3

Answer 26

- This is the deepest stage of sleep and it is very hard to wake someone up in this stage. - The first stage 3 of the night is about 30 minutes long. We then cycle back through the stages to stage 2. - Later in the night, sleep cycles do not return to stage 3 sleep - Sleepwalking and talking are most likely to occur in stage 3.