VI. States of Consciousness

Quizlet Flash Cards

States of Consciousness (2-4%)

Defining consciousness can be a difficult task. One way to approach this content area is to have students construct their own definitions and then use them to illustrate the different concepts associated with altered states of consciousness. Students are very likely to include sleep (all things sleep podcasts), hypnosis, near-death experiences, coma, daydreaming, and the effects of psychoactive drugs in their preconceptions of what consciousness is; this provides you with a good way to highlight the wide scope of the topic and initiate discussions on each subtopic. In your coverage of sleep and dreaming, examine the various theories of sleep and dreams, along with common sleep disorders. Be sure to contrast rapid eye movement (REM) and nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, examining the role of electroencephalographs (EEGs) in uncovering evidence that distinguishes between the different sleep stages.

AP students in psychology should be able to do the following:

• Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior.

• Discuss aspects of sleep and dreaming:

— stages and characteristics of the sleep cycle;

— theories of sleep and dreaming;

— symptoms and treatments of sleep disorders.

• Describe historic and contemporary uses of hypnosis (e.g., pain control, psychotherapy).

• Explain hypnotic phenomena (e.g., suggestibility, dissociation).

• Identify the major psychoactive drug categories (e.g., depressants, stimulants) and classify specific drugs, including their psychological and physiological

effects.

• Discuss drug dependence, addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal.

• Identify the major figures in consciousness research (e.g., William James, Sigmund Freud, Ernest Hilgard).

Essential Questions:

How do psychologists define consciousness?

What happens during the sleep cycle?

What roles do REM and NREM sleep play in behavior?

How does lack of sleep affect behavior?

How do psychoactive drugs affect behavior?

How do we know whether hypnosis is a real psychological phenomenon?

• Define consciousness.

• Describe the different stages of sleep.

• Analyze the different theories of dreaming.

• Determine the common sleep disorders and their consequences.

• Differentiate between the different theories of hypnosis. Analyze why psychologists are suspicious of hypnotically enhanced memories.

• Describe psychoactive drugs and their effects.

• Differentiate among the different types of psychoactive drugs and their effects.

• Analyze the consequences of addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal.

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