| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Consciousness | The general state of being aware of and responsive to events in the environment, as well as one's own mental processes |
| Circadian Rhythms | Internally generated patterns of body functions, including hormonal signals, sleep, blood pressure, and temperature regulation, which have approximately a 24-hour cycle and occur even in the absence of normal cues about whether it is day or night |
| Electroencephalogram (EEG) | Graphical record of brain-wave activity obtained through electrodes placed on the scalp and forehead |
| Rapid Eye Movement Sleep | Stage of sleep characterized by high-frequency, low-amplitude brain-wave activity, rapid and systematic eye movements, more vivid dreams, and postural muscle paralysis |
| Non-rapid Eye Movement Sleep | Four distinct stages of sleep during which no rapid eye movements occur. |
| Insomnia | Problems in going to sleep or maintaining sleep |
| Dream | A state of consciousness that occurs during sleep, usually accompanied by vivid visual, tactile, or auditory imagery. |
| Lucid Dream | Dream in which the dreamer is aware of dreaming while it is happening |
| Manifest Content | The overt story line, characters, and setting of a dream-the obvious, clearly discernible events of the dream |
| Latent Content | The deeper meaning of a dream, usually involving symbolism hidden meaning, and repressed or obscured ideas and wishes |
| Collective Unconscious | Jung's theory of a shared storehouse of primitive ideas and images that are inherited ideas and images, called archetypes, are emotionally charged and rich in meaning and symbolism |
| Descriptive Studies | A type of research method that allows researchers to measure variables so that they can develop a description of a situation or phenomenon |
| Biofeedback | A process through which people receive information about the status of a physical system and use this feedback information to learn to control the activity of that system |
| Mediation | The use of a variety of techniques including concentration, restriction of incoming stimuli, and deep relaxation to produce a state of consciousness characterized by a sense of detachment. |
| Drug | Any chemical substance that, in small amounts, alters biological or cognitive processes or both |
| Psychoactive Drug | A drug that alters behavior, thought, or perception by altering biochemical reactions in the nervous system, thereby affecting consciousness |
| Tolerance | The characteristic of requiring higher and higher doses of a drug to produce the same effect. |
| Dependence | The situation that occurs when the drug becomes part of the body's functioning and produces withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued |
| Blood-Brain Barrier | A mechanism that prevents certain molecule from entering the brain but allows others to cross |
| depressants (AKA sedative-hypnotics) | Any of a class of drugs that relax and calm a user and, in higher doses, induce sleep; also known as a depressant |
| opiates (AKA narcotics) | Drugs derived from the opium poppy, including opium, morphine, and heroin |
| Stimulant | A drug that increases alertness, reduces fatigue, and elevates mood |
| hallucinogens (AKA psychedelic drugs) | Consciousness-altering drugs that affect moods, thoughts, memory, judgment, and perception and that are consumed for the purpose of producing those results |
| Substance Abuser | A person who overuses and relies on drugs to deal with everyday life |
| Withdrawal Symptoms | The Reaction experienced when a substance abuser stops using a drug with dependence properties |
| preconscious | level of consciousness that is outside awareness but contains feelings and memories that can easily be brought into conscious awareness |
| unconscious | level of consciousness that includes unacceptable feelings, wishes, and thoughts not directly available to conscious awareness |
| nonconscious | the level of consciousness devoted to processes completely unavailable to conscious awareness (e.g., fingernails growing) |
| REM (rapid eye movement) sleep | sleep stage when the eyes move about, during which vivid dreams occur; brain very active but skeletal muscles paralyzed |
| hypnosis | state with deep relaxation and heightened suggestibility |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace