UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOLOGY

By
Robert S. Feldman
STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
 STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
 Consciousness
 the awareness of the sensations, thoughts, and feelings being experienced at a given
moment
 varies from an active to a passive state
 THE STAGES OF SLEEP

 The Stages of Sleep

 Stage 1 sleep
 the state of transition between
wakefulness and sleep, characterized
by relatively rapid, low-voltage brain
waves
 Stage 2 sleep
 characterized by a slower, more regular
wave pattern, and momentary
interruptions of “sleep spindles”
 THE STAGES OF SLEEP

 Stage 3 sleep
 characterized by slow brain waves, with
greater peaks and valleys in the wave
pattern
 Stage 4 sleep
 the deepest stage of sleep, during
which we are least responsive to
outside stimulation
 REM SLEEP: THE PARADOX OF SLEEP

 Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

 sleep occupying 20 percent of an adult’s
sleeping time, characterized by
increasing heart rate, blood pressure,
and breathing rate; erections; eye
movements; and the experience of
dreaming
STAGES OF SLEEP
HOW MUCH SLEEP IS NECESSARY?
 CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS: LIFE CYCLES

 Circadian Rhythms

 biological processes that occur

repeatedly on approximately a twenty-
four hour cycle.
 THE FUNCTION AND MEANING OF DREAMING

 Unconscious wish fulfillment theory

 dreams represent unconscious desires
 latent content of dreams
 “disguised” meanings of dreams
 manifest content of dreams
 overt story line of dreams
 THE FUNCTION AND MEANING OF DREAMING

 Activation-Synthesis Theory
 the brain produces random electrical
energy during REM sleep that
stimulates memories lodged in
various portions of the brain
 THE FUNCTION AND MEANING OF DREAMING

 Dreams-for-Survival Theory
 dreams permit information that is critical for our daily survival to be reconsidered and
reprocessed during sleep
 SLEEP DISTURBANCES: SLUMBERING
PROBLEMS

 Insomnia
 Sleep apnea
 Sudden infant death syndrome
 Night Terrors
 Narcolepsy
HYPNOSIS: A TRANCE-FORMING
EXPERIENCE?
 HYPNOSIS: A TRANCE-FORMING
EXPERIENCE?
 hypnosis
 A trancelike state of heightened susceptibility to the suggestions of others.
 THE VALUE OF HYPNOSIS

 Applications of hypnosis
 Controlling pain
 Ending tobacco addiction
 Treating psychological disorders
 Assisting in law enforcement
 Improving athletic ability
MEDITATION: REGULATING OUR
OWN STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS
 MEDITATION: REGULATING OUR
OWN STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS
 meditation A learned technique for
refocusing attention that brings about
an altered state of consciousness.
DRUG USE: THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF
CONSCIOUSNESS
 DRUG USE: THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF
CONSCIOUSNESS

 Addictive Drugs

 produce a biological or psychological dependence in the user, and withdrawal from

them leads to a craving for the drug that, in some cases, may be nearly irresistible
 biologically based
 psychologically based
STIMULANTS: DRUG HIGHS

 Stimulants affect the CNS by causing a

rise in heart rate, blood pressure, and
muscular tension
 Caffeine
 Nicotine
 Cocaine: Produces effects of euphoria and
alertness similar to caffeine. Talkativeness,
Excitement, Alertness, Anxiety and
Overconfidence
 Amphetamine: central nervous stimulants
that improve focus and reduce impulsivity
by increasing dopamine and
norepinephrine levels in the brain.
DEPRESSANTS: DRUG LOWS

 Alcohol
 Barbiturates: (known as sedative-
hypnotics, which generally describes their
sleep-inducing and anxiety-decreasing
effects. Barbiturates can be extremely
dangerous because the correct dose is
difficult to predict,and contain addiction
potential)
 Nembutal: (sedative for short-term
treatment of insomnia)
 Seconal (used to calm you just before
surgery)
 Phenobarbital (used to control seizures and
relieve anxiety, addictive In most cases)
NARCOTICS: RELIEVING PAIN AND ANXIETY

 Narcotics
 increase relaxation and relieve pain and
anxiety
 Heroin
 methadone
 Morphine
HALLUCINOGENS: PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS

 Hallucinogen
 capable of producing hallucinations, or
changes in the perceptual process
 Marijuana
 LSD
 Phencyclidine (PCP)