Deck 6: States of Consciousness

Question 1

The unconscious mind was not discussed in psychology textbooks until relatively recently.Which statement best explains why?

A) In the United States,psychology instructors approach the subject of psychology from a scientific viewpoint.
B) Most psychologists in the United States do not believe the "unconscious mind" exists.
C) The unconscious can never be studied using scientific methods.
D) The unconscious mind is a fictional term used to explain phenomena psychologists don't understand.

Answer 1

In the United States,psychology instructors approach the subject of psychology from a scientific viewpoint.

Question 2

Divided consciousness refers to:

A) the act of performing two activities,both of which require attention,at the same time.
B) the ability to divide attention between flowing consciousness and daydreaming.
C) Freud's belief that we push painful memories into the unconscious.
D) the ability to do two things at the same time because one task requires attention but the other task does not.

Answer 2

the act of performing two activities,both of which require attention,at the same time.

Question 3

The period of "drifting off," when you are neither awake nor asleep,is called:

A) stage one sleep.
B) stage two sleep.
C) the myoclonic state of sleep.
D) the hypnagogic state.

Answer 3

the hypnagogic state.

Question 4

In a hypnagogic state,we can expect to:

A) lose voluntary control of our body movements.
B) lose control of our bowel movements.
C) lose control of our minds.
D) experience continuous seizures.

Question 5

My son claims he can do his homework better when watching TV.If he were truly paying attention to both the TV and his homework,then would be proficient at using:

A) daydreaming.
B) altered awareness.
C) divided consciousness.
D) waking consciousness.

Question 6

Your mother is scolding you.At the same time,Ed McMahon shows up at your door and announces that you have just won 10 million dollars.You are riveted to Ed's words at the expense of your mother's.What happens to the information in your mother's scolding?

A) You stopped attending to her words,and thus they are forever lost to you.
B) Her words can still affect your emotions,even if you don't remember any of her words.
C) Her words will immediately become associated with the good news,and you will always remember them.
D) Since you are unable to divide your consciousness,you will remember Ed's words but not your mother's words.

Question 7

You are in a crowded restaurant,talking with a friend.You are completely involved in this conversation,until you hear someone at another table saying your name.What concept best explains this occurrence?

A) daydreaming
B) divided unconscious
C) cocktail party phenomenon
D) waking consciousness

Question 8

As you fall asleep,sometimes you feel as though you are falling.This is referred to as:

A) myoclonia.
B) an altered state.
C) hypnagogia.
D) REM sleep.

Question 9

Which of the following is a true statement about consciousness?

A) It is a wide-awake state where individuals are actively processing cognitive data.
B) The qualities of conscious awareness vary significantly under different conditions.
C) The sense of reality is consistent across the different states of consciousness.
D) Consciousness involves only waking states.

Question 10

The hypnagogic state is:

A) most similar to being fully awake.
B) a feeling of pleasant drowsiness.
C) an altered state.
D) most similar to deep sleep.

Question 11

The manager says that you are not good enough for the job.On the way home,your mind starts wandering.You start imagining what it would be like if you got a terrific job,got promoted to president of the company,got to hear that manager who claimed you weren't good enough beg for a promotion,and got to tell him,"Sorry,you're not good enough." You are in a state of:

A) dreaming
B) daydreaming.
C) divided consciousness.
D) normal waking consciousness.

Question 12

Which term means the same thing as "a state of awareness"?

A) hypnosis
B) non-REM sleep
C) consciousness
D) deep sleep

Question 13

Psychologists define consciousness as:

A) a state of awareness.
B) a period of intense brain wave activity.
C) automatic cognitive processing.
D) being in the waking state.

Question 14

You are in a room filled with people talking.A couple close to you is having an argument but you are focused on a conversation between you and a close friend.After the party,you are driving home and a car runs a stoplight in front of you.You feel anxious and upset.Suddenly,the words from the couple that were arguing surface in your memory.What explains this phenomenon?

A) At the party,you were using divided consciousness and didn't realize it.
B) You just experienced the cocktail party phenomenon.
C) At the party,you were in an altered state.
D) You just experienced a flashback of a traumatic childhood event.

Question 15

How many stages of non-REM sleep are there?

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 16

You are driving your car,not paying attention to where you are going,upset with a fight you just had with your parents,and talking to yourself about how unreasonable they are.When you arrive home,you realize that you don't remember driving home.This is an example of:

A) hypnagogic sleep.
B) daydreaming.
C) divided consciousness.
D) altered awareness.

Question 17

Which of the following is part of the unconscious mind?

A) daydreaming
B) divided consciousness
C) cocktail party phenomenon
D) dream sleep

Question 18

Research has suggested that daydreams:

A) involve an unfulfilled need.
B) are distorted reflection of current concerns and emotions.
C) occur in a stage of sleep.
D) release tension.

Question 19

Freud believed that ____________ reduced the tension left by unfulfilled needs and wishes.

A) sleeping
B) divided consciousness
C) dreaming
D) daydreaming

Question 20

Most psychologists agree that the unconscious mind:

A) is expressed symbolically in dream images.
B) is mythical and doesn't exist.
C) operates only during sleep.
D) is active and responding to stimuli of which we are not aware.

Question 21

When people are awakened during REM sleep,about ____________ report that they were dreaming.

A) 10%
B) 50%
C) 80%
D) 100%

Question 22

The brain waves of a person having a REM dream are most similar to which of the following?

A) stage four sleep
B) stage two sleep
C) the hypnagogic state
D) full wakefulness

Question 23

On average,the typical college student spends about ____________ hour(s)a night in REM sleep.

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4

Question 24

In a survey of college students (Strauch & Meier,1996),what proportion reported that they never dream?

A) one-half
B) one-fifth
C) one-fourth
D) one-third

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of an "autonomic storm"?

A) increased blood flow to the brain
B) twitching of the face and fingers
C) irregular breathing
D) increased voluntary control of large muscles

Question 26

Compared to REM dreams,non-REM dreams tend to be:

A) longer.
B) filled with more negative emotions.
C) less bizarre.
D) more visual.

Question 27

Researchers have observed which of the following about the occurrence of dreams during non-REM sleep?

A) Dreams never occur during non-REM sleep.
B) Dreams sometimes occur during non-REM sleep.
C) Dreams occur during non-REM sleep only for individuals with sleep disorders.
D) Dreams occur just as often during non-REM sleep as they do during REM sleep.

Question 28

Penile erection and vaginal lubrication occur during:

A) the hypnagogic state.
B) stage four sleep.
C) REM sleep.
D) the sexual state

Question 29

Amy is awake and studying for her next psychology exam.Anna is asleep and dreaming about the guy who sits next to her in psychology class.Andrew has just fallen asleep during the psychology lecture.Which two people will have the most similar brain states?

A) Anna and Andrew
B) Anna and Amy
C) Andrew and Amy
D) No two of these individuals are experiencing similarities in brain states.

Question 30

Your friend Ozzie tells you he never dreams.You are taking an Introduction to Psychology course,so you tell Ozzie that he:

A) is probably emotionally disturbed.
B) has a sleep disorder.
C) is not very smart.
D) dreams,but he is simply not remembering them.

Question 31

Which of the following is characteristic of REM sleep?

A) Blood flow to the brain decreases.
B) Breathing becomes deeper and more regular.
C) Large muscle movement is inhibited.
D) Blood flow to the genitals decreases.

Question 32

How do most sleep researchers distinguish among the four stages of non-REM sleep?

A) changes in breathing,heart rate,and blood pressure
B) eye movement changes
C) changes in brain wave patterns
D) changes in muscle tone

Question 33

Most people only report having dreams several times a week because:

A) they spend most of the night in other sleep stages.
B) most Americans don't get enough REM sleep.
C) they don't remember the vast majority of their dreams.
D) many people don't dream every night.

Question 34

Jacob is awake and dreaming about playing hockey.John has just fallen asleep on the bench during hockey practice.Jeff didn't make it to practice.He is asleep at home,dreaming about the next game.Which two people will have the most similar brain states?

A) Jacob and John
B) Jeff and Joe
C) Jacob and Jeff
D) No two of these individuals are experiencing similarities in brain states.

Question 35

If your dream had a frightening theme and bizarre images that cause you anxiety,it was MOST likely a:

A) REM dream.
B) night terror.
C) non-REM dream.
D) non-REM dream that carried over into REM sleep.

Question 36

Of the following,which is the LEAST influenced by circadian rhythms?

A) growth hormone
B) insulin
C) cortisol
D) melatonin

Question 37

In which stage of sleep can you observe a person's eyes darting rapidly back and forth beneath their eyelids?

A) stage one
B) REM sleep
C) stage two
D) stage four

Question 38

In the last part of the sleep cycle,a typical REM period lasts about:

A) 15 minutes.
B) 30 minutes.
C) 60 minutes.
D) 90 minutes.

Question 39

In an average night of sleep,an individual shifts from one stage of sleep to another ____________ time(s).

A) one
B) four
C) several
D) hundreds of

Question 40

Which of the following hormones is particularly involved in regulating sleepiness?

A) cortisol
B) norepinephrine
C) melatonin
D) growth hormone

Question 41

Which of the following is a true statement about the emotional content of dreams?

A) When people are asked about the emotional content of their dreams as soon as they wake up,they are likely to report positive emotions.
B) When people are asked about the emotional content of their dreams when they are awakened during REM sleep,they are likely to report negative emotions.
C) Negative dreams are more likely to wake us up than are positive dreams.
D) All of these are true statements.

Question 42

Earlier in the day,you had an argument with your boyfriend and you failed your psychology exam.That night,as you dream,you see images of your boyfriend in psychology class lecturing on the role of neurotransmitters in the brain.These images are an example of:

A) stimulus incorporation.
B) Freudian latent content.
C) day residue.
D) wishes and fantasies.

Question 43

If people experience a sudden reduction in sleep,they tend to:

A) be irritable and inefficient.
B) dream less often when allowed to sleep.
C) become more energetic and alert.
D) spend more time in deep sleep when allowed to sleep.

Question 44

Most of the conscious experience in dreams is:

A) sexual.
B) auditory.
C) visual.
D) olfactory.

Question 45

Of the vast array of persons in our dreams,we recognize about:

A) 10% of them.
B) 25% of them.
C) 50% of them.
D) 75% of them.

Question 46

A hospital's new policy will state that all medical residents must rotate their work shifts among the day shift,the night shift,and the swing shift every three months.If the hospital administration wants to make it as easy as possible for the residents to adjust to their new schedules,how should they assign the shift rotations?

A) The change should involve staying awake longer on the first day of each rotation.
B) The change should involve sleeping longer on the first day of each rotation.
C) The change should involve a simultaneous change in exercise pattern to force the body to adjust quickly.
D) None of these considerations will allow for an easier adjustment.

Question 47

In your dreams,you play a "starring role":

A) all of the time.
B) about 90% of the time.
C) about 75% of the time.
D) about 50% of the time.

Question 48

Body temperature reaches its lowest point:

A) at about four o'clock in the afternoon.
B) just before waking.
C) just before falling asleep.
D) midway through the sleep cycle.

Question 49

The direction of travel that causes the worst jet lag is traveling toward the:

A) west.
B) east.
C) north.
D) west in the morning and toward the east in the evening.

Question 50

How many hours do most adults in the United States sleep per night?

A) 3-4
B) 5-6
C) 7-8
D) 8-9

Question 51

Which hormone begins to rise shortly after you fall asleep,is associated with REM sleep,and peaks just before wakening?

A) estrogen
B) melatonin
C) cortisol
D) growth hormone

Question 52

If you are sleep-deprived,which sleep stage are you MOST likely to make up when you finally sleep?

A) stage one sleep
B) stage four sleep
C) REM sleep
D) all of the stages equally

Question 53

You are concerned because most of your dreams tend to have elements of creativity but are also bizarre.Based on what you learned in your General Psychology class,you should:

A) be evaluated at the University Sleep Disorder Lab.
B) make an appointment with a psychologist immediately.
C) ask your general practitioner for sleeping medications.
D) relax.About three-fourths of our dreams are in some way bizarre and unrealistic.

Question 54

Professor Den Hartog advises his class to "get a good night's sleep" prior to midterm examination.How will this help Professor Den Hartog's students with test performance?

A) If they sleep with the books under their pillows,they will subliminally retain small amounts of information.
B) They may actually dream about some of the answers to test questions.
C) Any information visually processed can be imprinted in the brain,similar to photographic memories.
D) REM sleep facilitates consolidation of newly learned material.

Question 55

Jaedyn had a dream that she was in a swimming pool.Which of the following sensations is most likely to have played a part in her dream?

A) sound of the water lapping against the side of the pool
B) smell of chlorine
C) feeling of wetness
D) visual image of the pool against a somewhat blurry background

Question 56

Your first week in your new dorm was a disaster.Every time you fell asleep,just as you were about to enter REM sleep,some loud noise down the hall would wake you up.When you visit your parents this weekend,how will your sleep cycle change?

A) You will sleep less because it has become a routine.
B) You will spend more time in deep sleep and less time in dream sleep.
C) You will spend more time in REM sleep.
D) You will spend less time asleep and less time in REM sleep.

Question 57

The first systematic study of dreams was conducted by:

A) Mary Whiton Calkins.
B) Sigmund Freud.
C) William James.
D) Rip Van Winkle.

Question 58

According to Freud,the latent content of a dream is:

A) the literal events of the dream.
B) the hidden meaning behind dream symbols.
C) the negative emotions in the dream.
D) any recurrent theme that appears in many dreams.

Question 59

When men sleep less than 4.5 hours and women sleep less than 3.5 hours per night,which of the following occurs?

A) Their immune systems speed up.
B) Their death rates increase.
C) They are able to metabolize sugar more effectively.
D) none of these

Question 60

Which of the following is a true statement about REM sleep?

A) REM sleep plays an essential role in the consolidation of newly learned information
B) Sleepwalking occurs mainly during REM sleep.
C) If a person is deprived of sleep,they will have fewer REM periods when allowed to sleep.
D) The dream-inhibiting system is active during REM sleep.

Question 61

People who have sleep-onset insomnia:

A) talk in their sleep.
B) fall asleep unexpectedly during work.
C) wake up early or in the middle of the night.
D) have trouble falling asleep.

Question 62

"Time seemed to have stopped.I was somehow everywhere,yet nowhere.I can't really put it into words,but I felt I was at peace.I felt I was in touch with the totality of reality." The person making these statements probably just experienced a(n):

A) dream.
B) altered state of consciousness.
C) hallucination.
D) delusion.

Question 63

Night terrors occur during:

A) hypnagogic sleep.
B) the lightest phase of non-REM sleep.
C) the deepest phase of non-REM sleep.
D) REM sleep.

Question 64

According to Freud,the manifest content of a dream is:

A) the literal events of the dream.
B) the hidden meaning behind dream symbols.
C) the negative emotions in the dream.
D) any recurrent theme that appears in many dreams.

Question 65

Dorcas is lethargic,moody,and irritable all day because she has trouble falling asleep and staying asleep at night.What is Dorcas suffering from?

A) insomnia
B) sleeptalking
C) narcolepsy
D) sleep apnea

Question 66

Which of the following is a true statement about narcolepsy?

A) It involves a combination of sleepwalking and sleeptalking.
B) It occurs only in individuals who are sleep-deprived.
C) It often involves loss of muscle tone and a lack of body movement.
D) It is unrelated to stress.

Question 67

Which of the following disorders has two potential causes,problems with brain signals and excessive relaxation of the throat muscles?

A) sleep apnea
B) narcolepsy
C) sleeptalking
D) insomnia

Question 68

Sleeptalking occurs during:

A) REM sleep.
B) light sleep.
C) deep sleep.
D) any stage of sleep.

Question 69

Which of the following is NOT typical of an altered state of consciousness?

A) a sense of unique individuality
B) perceptual distortions
C) indescribable experiences
D) self-evident reality

Question 70

Marieta is exhausted.For four nights in a row,she has been woken by the screams of her five-year-old son.It seems to take forever to wake him up out of this state,and he never seems able to explain what was upsetting him.Marieta's son is most likely experiencing

A) sleep apnea.
B) recurrent nightmares.
C) night terrors.
D) narcolepsy.

Question 71

When Tonto returned from a vision quest with the Lakota tribe,he tried but could not put the experience into words.Tonto's inability to tell others about his experience is most similar to the characteristic of altered states referred to as:

A) a sense of unity.
B) distortion of perception.
C) indescribability.
D) self-evident reality.

Question 72

When a person experiences an insight that is understood immediately as truth and requires no proof,we say they are experiencing:

A) a sense of unity.
B) a distortion of perception.
C) transcendence.
D) a self-evident reality.

Question 73

Karen is generally in a good mood,but at times she will suddenly go limp and fall asleep in the middle of the day.What disorder causes her symptoms?

A) sleep apnea
B) sleep-wake cycle disorder
C) narcolepsy
D) insomnia

Question 74

Night terrors and sleepwalking are MOST common in:

A) children.
B) young adults.
C) creative individuals.
D) the elderly.

Question 75

Which of the following always occur(s)during REM sleep?

A) sleepwalking
B) nightmares
C) night terrors
D) sleeptalking

Question 76

Which of the following is(are)often incorporated into the meditation process?

A) mantras
B) hypnosis
C) mesmerization
D) marijuana

Question 77

Excessive snoring is associated with:

A) insomnia.
B) narcolepsy.
C) sleep apnea.
D) sleep-wake cycle disorder.

Question 78

Which of the following is a true statement regarding the difference between a nightmare and a night terror?

A) Night terrors are always remembered and nightmares are not.
B) Physically,nightmares resemble a panic attack,while night terrors are much milder.
C) Night terrors occur in the deepest stages of non-REM sleep,but nightmares occur in REM sleep.
D) Generally,people wake themselves up during a night terror,but have difficulty waking up out of a nightmare.

Question 79

In the phrase "transcendental meditation," the word "transcendental" means:

A) outside of normal consciousness.
B) stress reducing.
C) private world.
D) peace.

Question 80

In a class preparing women for natural childbirth,mothers are instructed to sit in a comfortable position,to relax,to breathe slowly,and to focus their attention on their breathing.These techniques have much in common with:

A) hypnosis.
B) meditation.
C) REM sleep.
D) light sleep.