Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY (7th Ed) Chapter 7 States of Consciousness James A. McCubbin, PhD Clemson University Worth Publishers

Fact vs. Falsehood z1. People prone to delinquency and violence have fewer vivid fantasies. z2. Most university students are “evening" people whose performance improves throughout the day. z3. People who sleep seven to eight hours a night tend to outlive those that are chronically sleep-deprived. z4. The most common dreams that people have are those with sexual imagery. z5. The majority of the characters in dreams had by men are female. z6. Under hypnosis, people can be induced to perform feats they would otherwise find impossible. z7. Most psychologists believe that dreams provide a key to understanding our inner conflicts. z8. Under hypnosis, people can be induced to perform feats they would otherwise find immoral. z9. Those given morphine to control pain often become addicted to the drug. z10. In large amounts, alcohol is a depressant; in small amounts, it is a stimulant.

Waking Consciousness  Consciousness  our awareness of ourselves and our environments

Daydreams and Fantasies zWho yNearly everyone yYounger people have more and they are more sexual y95% of both genders have sexual fantasies yThose of men have a more physical nature zWhy yAlternate methods yconversations zHow to they Help yPrepare for the future yEnhance creativity yNourish social and cognitive development in children ySubstitute for impulsive behavior

Sleep and Dreams  Biological Rhythms  periodic physiological fluctuations  SAD, menstruation, circadian, and sleep cycles

Premenstrual Syndrome Premenstrual Menstrual Intermenstrual Menstrual phase Actual Recalled mood Negative mood score Recalled mood is worse than earlier reported Self-fufiling prophecy Placebo Hindsight bias

Circadian Rhythm  the biological clock (regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle)  Body temp  Rises in the am  Peaks during the day with an afternoon dip  Drops before sleep  Morning vs. Afternoon people  Shift as we age  Controlled by light

Sleep and Dreams  Sleep  periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness  How much  Newborns 2/3 of day  Adults 1/3 of day  Most people 9 hours  1/3 of life  Function  Protection  Recharge and recuperate  growth

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep  recurring sleep stage  vivid dreams  “paradoxical sleep”  muscles are generally relaxed, but other body systems are active

Sleep and Dreams  Measuring sleep activity

Brain Waves and Sleep Stages  Alpha Waves  slow waves of a relaxed, awake brain  Delta Waves  large, slow waves of deep sleep  Hallucinations  false sensory experiences

Stages in a Typical Night’s Sleep Sleep stages Awake Hours of sleep REM

Stages in a Typical Night’s Sleep Hours of sleep Minutes of Stage 4 and REM Decreasing Stage 4 Increasing REM

Sleep Deprivation  Effects of Sleep Loss  fatigue  impaired concentration  depressed immune system  greater vulnerability to accidents  Alters metabolism  Alters hormones  Hypertension  Memory impairment

Sleep Deprivation 2,400 2,700 2,600 2,500 2,800 Spring time change (hour sleep loss) 3,600 4, ,800 Fall time change (hour sleep gained) Less sleep, more accidents More sleep, fewer accidents Monday before time changeMonday after time change Accident frequency

Paying your Sleep Debt zNeed 2 weeks to recover from events like… z Worse in modern times due to…

Sleep Disorders  Insomnia persistent problems in falling or staying asleep  10-15% of adults  DON’TS  Pills and/or alcohol z How to Help: yRelax, dim the lights yAvoid caffeine/ drink milk yKeep a regular schedule yExercise regularly in the afternoon yReassure yourself yLess sleep

More Sleep Disorders  Narcolepsy (narco – numbness, lepsy – seizure)  uncontrollable sleep attacks  Can be 5 min. directly into REM sleep  Sleep Apnea  temporary cessation of breathing  momentary reawakening  Linked with snoring, obesity and hypertension

Night Terrors and Nightmares  Night Terrors  occur within 2 or 3 hours of falling asleep, usually during Stage 4  high arousal-- appearance of being terrified

Sleep Walking and Talking zUsually in children zRuns in families zAlso in stage 4

Dreams zWhat do you Dream? yLucid = you can control y80% are negative yMost are of daily life yGender Differences xMen: 1/10 are sexual, 65% of characters are male xWomen: 1/30 are sexual, characters are 50/50 yCurrent sensory info my be incorporated

Dreams: Freud  Dreams  sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind  delusional acceptance of the content  Sigmund Freud--The Interpretation of Dreams (1900)  wish fulfillment  discharge otherwise unacceptable feelings  Manifest Content  remembered story line  Latent Content  underlying meaning

Why do we Dream?  As Information Processing  helps facilitate memories  (REM Rebound: REM sleep increases following REM sleep deprivation)  Psychological Function:  Stimulate the sleeping brain to preserve neural pathways  Activation-Synthesis Theory  Dreams are brain’s way of trying to make sense of neural firing  Limbic system is active during REM  Part of Brain Maturation and Development

Sleep Across the Lifespan