Consciousness is the awareness we have of ourselves and the world around us. This lesson introduces different levels of awareness and explains how biological rhythms help shape our states of consciousness.
Consciousness describes our awareness of internal and external stimuli. Internal awareness includes sensations such as pain, hunger, thirst, and sleepiness, as well as awareness of thoughts and emotions. External awareness includes noticing things in the environment, such as sunlight, the warmth of a room, or a friend's voice.
All flashcards
What is consciousness?
Consciousness is awareness of internal stimuli, such as hunger and thoughts, and external stimuli, such as light and sounds.
What is a circadian rhythm?
A biological rhythm that follows a cycle of about 24 hours, such as the sleep-wake cycle.
How does wakefulness generally differ from sleep?
Wakefulness usually involves higher sensory awareness, thought, and behavior; sleep involves relatively low physical activity and reduced sensory awareness.
What is homeostasis?
The tendency of a biological system to maintain a stable balance or optimal internal level.
What role does the SCN play?
The suprachiasmatic nucleus, located in the hypothalamus, helps regulate the internal biological clock. Light information from the retina helps it synchronize rhythms with the environment.
Quiz questions
How does light generally affect melatonin release?Answer: Darkness stimulates release, while light inhibits it.
What does a person's chronotype describe?Answer: Individual differences in preferred timing of sleep and activity.
What causes jet lag after travel across multiple time zones?Answer: A mismatch between internal circadian timing and local time.
A person drives a familiar route while daydreaming and later recalls little attention to the drive. What does this best illustrate?Answer: Complex behavior can occur without full conscious attention to every action.
How can sleep deprivation affect performance compared with alcohol intoxication?Answer: It can impair cognitive and motor performance as much as or more than alcohol intoxication.
Based on Psychology 2e by Rose M. Spielman, William J. Jenkins, Marilyn D. Lovett (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.