Psychology Unit 2 Brain and Consciousness

TheNervous System

What is the Nervous System?

Controls you emotions, movements, thinking and behavior

2 Parts Central & Peripheral

Central: the brain & spinal cord Peripheral: Nerves branching out

from spinal cord

Neurons Cells of nerve tissue through which

messages travel to and from the brain Parts of the Neuron

Axon

Dendrite

Cell Body

Synapse

The Brain

The Three Brains Hindbrain

› Voluntary movements› Reflexes› Produces important chemicals

Midbrain› Brings sensory info through the rest of the

brain Forebrain

› Controls body reactions to temp, hunger, thirst, & sex

› Emotions› Higher Thinking Processes

Important Parts of the Brain

Complete the Brain Quiz Study Guide

Check Answers

Brain Clips

No Brainers? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tefl

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Brain Phenomenon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSu

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Are You Right-Brained or Left-Brained?

Complete the Right-Brained or Left-Brained Worksheets

Class Discussion

Metaphorical Grab Bag Count off by 6s In your small groups, fill in the blanks

with the item your group picked out of the bag:

A Brain is like a __________________(item that you picked out the bag) because _______________________________.

Altered States of Consciousness

What is Consciousness? A state of awareness, including a

person’s feelings, ideas, and perceptions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjfaoe847qQ

What are Altered States of Consciousness?

Different levels of awareness

Example: Sleep

Why Sleep?

Theories:› Restorative› Conserve Energy› Adaptive process› Clear minds› To Dream

Stages of Sleep

Stage I: Lightest level of sleep› 10 min, eye rolling, twitching, “just drifting”

Stage II: Early sleep› Muscle relaxation, limited physical mobility

Stage III: Deeper sleep

Stages of Sleep

Stage IV: Deepest level of sleep› Important level, difficult to wake

when in this stage, disorientation is awoken

REM sleep: Active sleep› Rapid eye movement, dreaming,

every 90 min

How Much Sleep? Human = 1/3 of lives

sleeping Amount Varies:

› Newborns = 16 hours› 16 year olds = 10 -11

hours› 70 year olds = 5 hours

Internal Biological Clock› Light and dark patterns› Jetlag

Sleep Disorders Chart

Complete the Sleep Disorders Chart for the rest of the period. Make sure to do front and back!

Dreams

Mental activity that takes place during sleep

Dream Content:› Often everyday activity in dreams› Large percent are negative/unpleasant› Nightmares

Déjà vu

the having the strong feeling that an event currently being experienced was experienced in the past

Theory:› A distorted memory from a

disconnect w/short & long-term memory

Dream Interpretation Sigmund Freud

› Founding Father of psychoanalysis

› Believed in solving problems through patient and psychologist dialogue

› Unconscious: part of the mind we are unaware of, but strongly influences behavior

Dream Interpretation Freud = dreams contained clues to

thoughts we are afraid to acknowledge while awake

Indian tribes = dream spiritual world

Critics?› No purpose› Mental housecleaning› Problem-solving

Dream Mini-Project

Dream Diary

3 DreamsDue Tuesday

Dream Interpretation on Tuesday

Final Project Due Wednesday!

Hypnosis

State of consciousness achieved by narrowed focus and heighted suggestibility

Make conscious things ppl are unaware of and unaware of things they usually noticeshifts your consciousness

Example

Hypnosis

Involves persuading participates to relax and lose interest in the external

Can help reduce pain

Similar to a deep sleep

Hypnosis Example

Can you hypnotize yourself?› Sometimes just thinking of an

action can result in producing that actionif you can imagine that result clearly enough

Stretch your arms and follow my directions (p194)

Biofeedback Learning how to control your internal

physiological processes› Example: Heart Rate

Meditation

Focusing of attention to clear one’s mind and produce relaxation

3 approaches› Transcendental› Mindfulness› Breath

Meditation Effects Most people can benefit

› Lower blood pressure› Heart rate› respiration rate

Critics› Same results as

simply sleeping or relaxing

Meditation Example

Find a comfortable sitting position

http://www.youtube.com/user/okanokumo?v=BaMBQSsdnxo

Relax and Breath Deeply, Focus on “Being” instead of “Not Thinking”