Answers and Explanation to the Consciousness
and Sleep Quiz
1. Which one of the following depicts what is most often
considered the "normal" pattern of sleep?
Rapid ascent to stage 4, back to 2 and then REM,
with the rest of the night being mostly stage 4 (deep sleep) and REM.
Slow decent from wake to REM, then mostly stage 2 and stage 4 the rest
of the night.
Rapid ascent from wake to stage 4, decent back to 2 and then REM, with
the rest of the night being mostly stage 2 and REM.
Slow ascent to stage 4, drop to REM, back to deep sleep, and the rest
of the night being REM and stage 2.
Correct Answer = Rapid ascent from
wake to stage 4, decent back to 2 and then REM, with the rest of the night being
mostly stage 2 and REM
Explanation = Although people do not all sleep exactly
the same way, there is a common pattern of sleep stages that people experience
throughout the course of a night. In general, once a person falls asleep, the
go from stage 1, to stage 2, to stage, and then to stage 4 quite rapidly. Then,
there is a brief return to stage 2 before the person enters the first REM period
of the night. The pattern is much the same for the rest of the night, except
that in the second half of the night, people spend very little (if any) time
in stage 3 or 4 sleep. Instead, people go back and forth between REM and stage
2, with the occasional arousal (or waking period).
2. Which of the following is NOT characteristic of Non-REM
(NREM) sleep?
accelerated hear rate
eyes moving slowly from side to side
breathing becomes slowed and regular
muscular tension diminishes
Correct Answer = accelerated heart rate
Explanation = NREM sleep is a time of relaxation and slowing
down of most bodily functioning. As you can see from the other choices above,
during NREM sleep, the eyes move more slowly than in REM sleep where they move
quickly from side to side, respiration slows, and muscles become relaxed. Consistent
with this, heart rate does not increase during NREM sleep.
3. A researcher who believes that dreams are typically
improbable and bizarre, and are not related to actual life events, probably
supports the _______ theory of dreaming.
activation synthesis
Freudian
memory consolidation
lucid dreams
Correct Answer = activation synthesis
Explanation = there are many theories about dreams and
dream content. Those theories rely on dreams containing some meaning that may
be hidden or inaccessible to us while we are awake, but not while we sleep.
However, the activation synthesis theory states that dreams are just byproducts
of all the electrical activity that occurs while we sleep. Our neurons still
function while we sleep, but because we are not dealing with any life activities
at the time, there is nothing to attend to or deal with at the time. As a result,
the neuronal firings produce bizarre images and combinations, not coherent meaningful
combinations. Thus, dreams are just all the irrelevant neuronal firings being
lumped together.
4. There are many different types of sleep disorders. Some
involve an inability to sleep, and others involve an inability to avoid sleep.
Basically though, we can say that _______ is an inability to sleep and ______
is an inability to stay awake.
dyssomnia; parasomnia
parasomnia; dyssomnia
hypersomnia; insomnia
insomnia; hypersomnia
Correct Answer = insomnia; hypersomnia
Explanation = if you have had occasional problems sleeping
(just problems sleeping here and there), then you do not have insomnia. This
is a common misconception; that people have trouble sleeping for a few days,
and then they think they are insomniacs. Insomnia is a disorder that exists
for long periods of time and has serious consequences. In addition, insomnia
may be related to an inability to fall asleep at the beginning of the night,
an inability to stay asleep during the night, or an inability to go back to
sleep after an awakening at some point. On the other hand, parasomnia is an
inability to not sleep. Parasomniacs feel tired very on a regular basis and
fall asleep at irregular times; they sleep at times when they should be well
rested and should be wide awake (it is more excessive than being a good sleeper
who can sleep anywhere). In both of these disorders, the effects cause disturbances
to normal functioning on a daily basis.
5. Although there is no single, universally accepted theory
about the meaning of dreams, most do agree that dreams are influenced by the
events that occur during our waking lives and:
things that occur while we are asleep
things that happen to our sleep partners
temperature in the room in which you sleep
your aura
Correct Answer = your aura (just kidding.
Geez) the correct answer is things that occur while we are asleep
Explanation = when we sleep, we are the same people we
are when we are awake. When we are awake, events that occur around us have significant
effects on our thoughts and behaviors. The same is true while we sleep; events
that occur while we sleep effect our thoughts and behaviors. Just because we
are sleeping does not mean that our brains, our senses, and our nervous systems
shut down. For example, studies have shown that if people are sprayed with water
mist, and then woken during REM sleep, they often report having dreams such
as being in a rain shower or under a waterfall. In this case, the people incorporated
the external event into their dreams.
6. The human circadian rhythm acts as an internal clock
and seem to work as a function of:
time
our body temperature
our eating habits
our work/play schedules
Correct Answer = our body temperature
Explanation = humans seem to function according to an internal
biological clock (circadian rhythm) that has a cycle every 24.5 (or so) hours.
This leads many to believe that it is time that regulates the circadian rhythms.
However, while the cycle may last a specific amount of time, it is regulated
by body temperature. Body temperature tends to increase and decrease throughout
the day (and night) in a predictable manner. As the temperature changes, it
produces a multitude of side effects in the body. For example, body temperature
can trigger internal events that make us feel sleepy, or energetic. Don't be
fooled into thinking that the clock is regulated by time just because it cycles
on a regular basis that can be measured in hours.
7. Peter works after school delivering pizzas on his banana
seat bike. Several times last week he suddenly fell asleep at the doorstep of
several of his customers after receiving a big tip. Peter may have:
been drinking on the job
amazed that he got a tip and fainted
sleep apnea
narcolepsy
Correct Answer = narcolepsy
Explanation = narcolepsy is a very serious disorder in
which a person drops from wake to sleep (often directly into REM sleep) unexpectedly.
These narcoleptic fits often occur very quickly and can be dangerous (although
there are some warning signs that a narcoleptic may feel, the fits come on quickly).
It has also been found that fits are often produced by excitement. Studies at
Stanford have found that when given toys, treats, or activities that produce
excitement, puppies with narcolepsy will all of a sudden collapse into a narcoleptic
fit. It is much the same for humans with narcolepsy. As you can guess, this
can be a debilitating and dangerous disorder. Fortunately, there are drugs treatments
that are quite effective in reducing the occurrence of narcoleptic fits.
8. When a person is _______ dependent on a drug there is
a need for that drug, but no biochemical requirement by the body.
psychologically
physically
physiologically
anatomically
Correct Answer = psychologically
Explanation = addictions do not have to be physical to
be serious and real. Many times people become emotionally dependent on other
people, drugs, activities, and lots of other things even though those things
do not have any addictive properties.
9. Each of the following is accurate regarding stimulant
drugs EXCEPT:
they increase central nervous system activity
they include drugs such as morphine, heroine, and alcohol
they include clinical antidepressants
they may produce a cycle of arousal and depression
Correct Answer = they include drugs such
as morphine, heroine, and alcohol
Explanation = stimulants such as amphetamines, caffeine,
nicotine, and cocaine are called stimulants because they have "stimulating"
effects such as increasing central nervous system activity, and fight off feelings
of depression and the lethargy that accompanies depression. However, their effects
do wear off, like everything else, which often causes a person to fall right
back into feelings of depression. Sometimes the after effects can be even worse
because the person has just been feeling so good relative to their current state.
10. The approach to altering consciousness that involves
the use of a devise which permits someone to monitor and influence their own
bodily processes that are not normally subject to voluntary control is called:
meditation
sleep
yoga
biofeedback
Correct Answer = biofeedback
Explanation = meditation and yoga are techniques that do
not necessarily require any outside tools or mechanisms and can, among other
things, can induce altered states of consciousness including sleep. However,
biofeedback requires an external monitoring device (i.e., biofeedback machine)
during the learning stages of the technique. The machine allows a person to
observe the changes in their bodies that occur during different experiences
and stages of being. For example, a person who has problems with anger could
see a change in their blood pressure as they become angry. By being able to
see how and when your body changes, the person can then be taught to recognize
these changes without the machine and to use different techniques to alter the
state and bring them back into a healthier state.