Deck 5: A: Consciousness

Question 1

Why are many psychologists skeptical of claims that hypnosis represents a true altered state of consciousness?

Answer 1

Answers will vary but should contain the following information for full credit.
--One key point of contention is that the ability to experience hypnosis is related to one's receptivity to suggestibility.Therefore,unlike dreams,it is a state of consciousness that only some people,not all,will experience.
--A second key point is the fact that much of what occurs during the hypnotic state involves one responding to cues from the hypnotist.For many,this seems to support the idea of role-playing rather than altered consciousness.
--Also,there is no unique brain state identified with being hypnotized as one might expect if it were,in fact,different from normal consciousness.
--Lastly,the idea of a hidden observer may serve as an additional cue to the person about how to act rather than represent a true,unique state of consciousness.

Question 2

Discuss how the neurocognitive perspective on dreaming differs from the dream protection and activation-synthesis theories of dreaming.

Answer 2

Answers will vary but should contain the following information for full credit.
--The neurocognitive perspective argues that one's information-processing abilities influence the content of one's dreams.The neurocognitive perspective argues that the information contained in one's dreams represents the concerns of one's daily life-such as issues in relationships,school,or at work-rather than the deep,dark secrets and symbolic imagery that Freud said were housed within our unconscious mind and occupied the content of our
nightly dreams.
--The neurocognitive perspective,unlike the activation-synthesis theory,does assert that these dreams then are somewhat psychologically meaningful to people,because a person is ruminating over a lost phone number or concert ticket rather than just experiencing random content within the dream.The activation-synthesis theory,by contrast,suggests that the content of dreams is more random and any meaning is created by the forebrain in its attempt to bring coherence to one's internal world,much like it brings coherence to our external and internal worlds during waking consciousness.

Question 3

Design an intervention to help a person who is complaining of insomnia.

Answer 3

Answers will vary but should contain the following information for full credit.The depth of this answer assumes that further detail was covered by the instructor during his or her discussion of sleep or the sleep disorder insomnia.
--There are three main suggestions made to treat insomnia that were identified by the authors from the sleep research literature.The student should identify at least two in his or her answer.See below for the general points that should be made.
--The circadian rhythm of a person experiencing insomnia will be out of sync with one's daily schedule so,first,one should develop and adhere to a consistent sleep schedule.The student should then explain why keeping to a consistent sleep schedule is helpful and how it fits into his or her overall intervention.
--Second,a person should limit,as much as possible,those activities and things that will interfere with one's newly developed sleep schedule.The student should identify at least one problematic activity and explain how his or her intervention would work to reduce that problem.
--Third,a person should come to associate his or her bed and sleeping area with only one thing: sleep.The student should identify at least one method for making this association and explain how it fits into his or her overall intervention.