Chapter 6B

Question 1

measurment of physiological responses

Answer 1

• consciousness is subjective and personal and not possible to measure directly, so we measure the physiological changes that accompany a state of consciousness
• these physiological responses are usually consistent and stable and can be recorded objectively.

Question 2

physiological changes measured are

Answer 2

• electrical activity in the brain and muscles
• heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature
• electrical conductivity of the skin

Question 3

measuring consciousness objectively through electrical activity

Answer 3

• electroencephalograph (EEG)
• electro-oculograph (EOG)
• Electromyograph (EMG)

Question 4

ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPH (EEG)

Answer 4

• This device detects, amplifies and records the
  electrical activity of the neurons in the brain. This is
  in the form of “brainwaves”
• measure the small electrical changes created by neurons in the brain
• Different brainwave activity is associated with different levels of consciousness.

Question 5

what does an EEG show when we are awake and asleep

Answer 5

• If we are awake there is high frequency and low amplitude in REM sleep
• If we are asleep there is low frequency and high amplitude In NREM 3 sleep

Question 6

ELECTROMYOGRAPH
(EMG)

Answer 6

• The EMG detects, amplifies
  and records the electrical
  activity of skeletal muscles
• Muscle activity is high when
  we are awake, lower when
  asleep and almost non
  existent in REM sleep.

Question 7

ELECTRO-OCULOGRAPH
(EOG)

Answer 7

• The EOG detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity in the
  muscles that control eye
  movement.
• The changes in
  voltage as the muscles contract and
  relax is measured.
• The EOG is primarily used to detect RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (REM) sleep, where high levels of
  electrical activity are seen.

Question 8

subjective reporting

Answer 8

Subjective reports include any direct report by the person regarding there own experiences

Question 9

example of subjective reporting

Answer 9

• self reporting
• sleep diary
• a questionare
• diary entry
• interview

Question 10

self reporting through a sleep diary

Answer 10

asking someone to rate their sleep last night is a subjective measure but still useful in giving an insight into a state of consciousness
- sleep diaries are commonly used with people experiencing sleep troubles

Question 11

self reports might take the form of:

Answer 11

• a questionare
• diary entry
• interview

Question 12

limitations of self reporting

Answer 12

• forgetting to complete or forgetting details
  -accuracy/truthfulness of descriptions
• reliable interpretation of information

Question 13

what goes in a sleep diary

Answer 13

• the duration of sleep
• the quality of sleep
• thoughts and feelings before going to sleep
• thoughts and feelings after waking up
• behaviours before going to sleep
• behaviours after waking up
• the number of times sleep was disrupted.

Question 14

video monitoring

Answer 14

filming someone as they sleep is often used to diagnose sleep disorders
- the recorders are viewed and interpreted to provide information on sleep patters
- the interpretations of the footage are subjective

Question 15

limitations of video monitoring

Answer 15

• doesn’t give information about what is happening inside the body
• the interpretations of the footage are subjective