Psychology SAC 3

The level of awareness an individual has over their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and existence.

• An agree upon description and understanding of psychological phenomena that cannot be overly measured or observed. 
• - Normal waking consciousness
• - Altered state of consciousness

A state of consciousness in which an individual is awake and aware

ASC is a state of consciousness that is distinctly different from normal waking consciousness in terms of quality of experience and levels of awareness

• Naturally occurring altered state of consciousness:
• A type of altered state of consciousness that occurs without intervention
• - sleep daydreaming

• Induced altered state of consciousness:
• A type of altered state of consciousness that occurs due to a purposeful action or aid
• - meditation, hypnosis, influence of alcohol, drugs

• A regular and naturally occurring ASC that involves a loss of awareness and disengagement with internal and external stimuli. 
• Characteristics of sleep include:
• - a reduced ability to control behavior
• - a reduction in the control we have over thought
• - less accurate understanding of the passage of time
• - perceptual and cognitive distortions

• A sleep episode is the full duration of time spent asleep. 
• Made up of multiple repeated cycles of REM and NREM sleep, called sleep cycles

• NREM 1: 2-10 minutes
• NREM 2: 20-30 minutes
• NREM 3: 20-40 minutes

• REM (rapid eye movement):
• REM sleep is a type of sleep characteristics by rapid eye movement, high levels of brain activity, and low levels of physical activity 
• NREM (non-rapid eye movement):
• NREM sleep is a type of sleep characterized by a lack of rapid eye movement and is subdivided into three different stages of sleep; NREM stage 1, NREM stage 2, NREM stage 3

• Can be measured through investigating and measuring consciousness 
• Some ways this information can be gathered is through analysing the objective physiological changes that occur during sleep or exploring qualitive information about changes that occur during sleep 
• - The electroencephalograph (EEG)
• - The electromygraph (EMG)
• - The electroocuolograph (EOG)

(and sleep diaries, and video monitoring)

• A device that detects, amplifies, and records the electrical activity of the brain (D-detect A-amplify R-record E-electrical activity of)
• Brain waves can be used to make a judgement about the state of consciousness a person might be in
• - frequency: is the number of brain waves that occur per second
• - amplitude: the intensity and height of the brain waves

• A device that detects, amplifies, and records the electrical activity of the body's muscles 
• Attaching electrodes to the skin above the muscles under investigation, the movement and tension of muscles are recorded 
• During REM:
• EMG shows low activity
• During NREM:
• EMG shows medium/moderate activity

• A device that detects, amplifies, and records the electrical activity of the muscles responsible for eye movement
• During REM:
• rapid eye movement, likely to show activity
• During NREM:
• non-rapid eye movement, likely to show low activity

• Strengths:
• - provides reliable, unbiased, quantitative data that can indicate someone's state of consciousness
• Limitations:
• - do not provide qualitative detail about the personal experiences of sleep
• - changes in physiological responses may be due to factors other than a change in consciousness, thus the findings may lack validity at times

• Are a record containing self-reported descriptions from an individual about their sleeping periods
• - 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

• Disadvantages:
• - subjective and therefore may not be accurate
• - requires interpretation by a third person

• Advantages:
• - provide qualitative and information and extensive in detail and description

Involves the use of camera and audio technologies to record an individual as they sleep

• Advantage:
• - provides data specific to the individuals 
• - useful for individuals with sleep disorders, as their behaviour during sleep can be observed

• Disadvantage:
• The interpretation of a video monitoring is subjective

• Repeated biological processes that are regulated by internal mechanisms 
• - circadian rhythms
• - ultradian rhytms

• Biological and behavioural changes that occur as part of a cycle that lasts around 24 hours 
• The sleep wake cycle is a type of circadian rhythm as it is a 24-hour cycle that is made up of time spent sleeping and time being awake and alert

• Biological and behavioral changes that occur in a cycle that lasts less than 24 hours 
• A sleep cycle is an example of an ultradian rhythm. This is because sleep cycles involve changes in physiological activity that repeat in a cyclic manner in less than 24 hours.

• The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is part of the hypothalamus and regulates the sleep-wake cycle by communicating with the pineal gland to release the hormone melatonin 
• melatonin is a hormone released by the pineal gland typically at night-time to induce sleep as part of the sleep wake cycle by inducing drowsiness/sleepiness and decreased alertness 
• - The SCN can operate independently on an approximately 24 hour cycle but it is also influenced by zeitgebers

• Internal and external environmental cues that affect biological rhythms such as sleep wake cycle 
• - Daylight is the main naturally occurring zeitgebers that influences the functioning of the SCN and that daylight allows the SCN to reset every 24 hours

does not directly induce sleep, but rather promotes a state of calm and relaxation to make it easier to fall asleep

A hormone that is responsible for increasing alertness and maintaining heightened arousal

• Released from pineal gland:
• Melatonin - low levels in the body (in morning), high levels in the body (at night)

• Released from adrenal cortex
• Cortisol - high levels in the body (in morning), low levels in the body (at night)

external/internal input - Input to the SCN - SCN receives cues - SCN sends appropriate signals to the pineal gland - pineal gland releases hormones based on SCN signalling - the hormone melatonin is released at night-time to induce sleep