Psych 100 End of Semester Notes Fall 14 Wede Biological Rhythms and Sleep Lecture 21 Sleep Dreams Circadian Rhythms our biological clock controls feeling of being tired Occur on a 24 hour cycle Light triggers the suprachiasmatic nucleus in hypothalamus to decrease morning melatonin from the pineal gland and increase evening it at nightfall Altered by artificial light Sleep Stages Exposing yourself to daylight can help reset biological clock Measuring sleep EEG measures electrical activity in brain About every 90 minutes we pass through a cycle of distinct sleep stages Awake but Relaxed When alert and awake we see fast beta waves When an individual closes his eyes but remains awake Brain activity slows down alpha waves appear Transition from alpha to theta waves Light sleep hypnic jerk hypnagogic images Temperature breathing and heart rate decrease Body starts to slow down Still pretty easy to wake up Sleep Stage N1 theta waves Stage N2 sleep spindles Sleep Stage N3 Growth hormones released Hard to wake up Delta waves REM Sleep Starts moving backward towards stage 1 After reaching the deepest sleep stage N3 Although still asleep the brain engages in low amplitude fast and regular beta waves Exhibits Rapid Eye Movements REM and reports vivid dreams REM Paralysis Voluntary muscles are paralyzed REM Rebound Increase amount of REM sleep if deprived of REM sleep on earlier nights 90 of dreaming occurs in this stage 50 baby 20 adult REM Myth people deprived of rem sleep will become paranoid and seem mentally ill 90 Minute Cycles During Sleep With each 90 minute cycle stage 4 sleep decreases and the duration of REM sleep increases Why do we sleep We spend one third of our lives sleeping Immune functions and concentration deteriorates Fatigue Impaired concentration Emotional irritability If an individual remains awake for several days Risk of accidents increases Sleep Deprivation Depressed immune system Greater vulnerability Death Accidents Frequency of accidents increase with loss of sleep Sleep Theories Sleep Protects Adaptive theory 1 2014 Wede Psych 100 End of Semester Notes Fall 14 Wede Sleeping in the darkness kept our ancestors out of harms way Helps restore and repair brain tissue During sleep the pituitary gland releases growth hormone Older people release less of this hormone and sleep less Sleep Helps us Recover and Grow Restorative theory Sleep Helps us Remember Restores and rebuilds our fading memories Any kind of sleep helps to form memories Dreams Why We Dream The link between REM sleep and dreaming has opened up a new era of dream research Freud suggested that dreams provide a psychic safety valve to discharge unacceptable feelings Dreams may help sift sort and fix a day s experiences in our memories Disruptions in REM sleep impair memory formation but possibly other stages Wish Fulfillment Manifest events in dream and Latent underlying meaning of dream content Information Processing Physiological Function Activation Synthesis Theory Cognitive Development Suggests that the brain engages in a lot of random neural activity Dreams make sense of this activity A dream is another part of thinking that occurs when people sleep Dreams provide the sleeping brain with periodic stimulation to develop and preserve neural pathways Neural networks of newborns are quickly developing therefore they need more sleep Some researchers argue that we dream as a part of brain maturation and cognitive development Social Psychology How the presence of others real or implied influences our behavior thoughts or feelings Lecture 22 Social Influence Conformity and Obedience Behavior is contagious We follow the behavior of others to conform Don t rock the boat Other behaviors may be the expression of compliance obedience toward authority The Chameleon Effect Unconsciously mimicking other s expressions postures and voice tones Helps with feelings of empathy Conformity Changing behavior to match others behavior Studies by Solomon Asch Group Think alternatives Mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a group overrides realistic appraisal of Attack on Pearl Harbor Kennedy and Cuban Crisis Watergate Cover up Chernobyl Reactor Accident Challenger Explosion Iraq and WMD 2014 Wede 2 Psych 100 End of Semester Notes Fall 14 Wede In both Ash s and Milgram s studies participants were pressurized between following their standards and being responsive to others In Milgram s study a step forward participants were torn between hearing victims pleas and experimenter s orders Compliance Obedience Changing behavior as a result of being asked to change Consumer psychology Studying the habits of consumers in the marketplace People comply to social pressures But how would they respond to outright command Obedience Changing behavior at command of authority figure Milgram s Study Results electric shocks Individual Resistance A third of individuals in Milgram s study resisted social coercion Lessons from the Conformity and Obedience Studies Group Influence How do groups affect our performance Social psychologists study all kinds of groups One person affecting another Families Teams Committees Individual Behavior in the Presence of Others Social Facilitation Improved performance on a task in the presence of others Triplett 1898 noticed cyclists race time were faster when they competed against others than against a clock Presence of others increases our arousal level Arousal strengthens most likely response Easy task Improved performance social facilitation Difficult task Worse performance social impairment Social Loafing Tendency of an individual in a group to exert less effort toward attaining a common goal than when tested individually Latan 1981 When pulling on a rope Clapping and shouting 18 less effort when thought on a team 33 less noise when thought with others Loss of self awareness and self restraint in group situations that arousal and anonymity foster Deindividuation Effects of Group Interaction Group Polarization Enhances group s prevailing attitudes through discussion If a group is like minded discussion strengthens its prevailing opinions and attitudes Power of Individuals The power of social influence is enormous but so is the power of the individual Non violent fasts and appeals by Gandhi led to the independence of India from the British 3 2014 Wede Psych 100 End of Semester Notes Fall 14 Wede Attitudes tendency to respond positively or negatively toward certain people ideas objects or
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