Welcome to lesson four of the free Introduction to Psychology course! So far in this series of lessons, you have explored the basics, explored research techniques and learned the basics of biopsychology. In this lesson, we'll focus on the various states of human consciousness and some of the things that can have an impact on these states of awareness.
Human consciousness is often compared to a stream, constantly changing but always flowing smoothly.
Syllabus for this week:
What is consciousness?
Biological and circadian rhythms
Sleep
Dreams
Click the links below to read the articles and resources related to each topic in this lesson. Don't worry, there's no homework! These lessons are completely self-directed, which means that it is up to you to read the articles and learn the information. Good luck with this lesson!
Understanding Consciousness
Have you ever wondered why you feel more energetic in the morning, tried to analyze your dreams or questioned how hypnosis works? All of these topics are related to human consciousness, which can be altered in a number of different ways. Explore this topic further in this overview of human consciousness.
What is Consciousness?
Answer: Consciousness refers to your individual awareness of your unique thoughts, memories, feelings, sensations and environment. Your conscious experiences are constantly shifting and changing. For example, in one moment you may be focused on reading this article. Your consciousness may then shift to the memory of a conversation you had earlier with a co-worker. Next, you might notice how uncomfortable your chair is or maybe you are mentally planning dinner. This ever-shifting stream of thoughts can change dramatically from one moment to the next, but your experience of it seems smooth and effortless.
The conscious experience was one of the first topics studied by early psychologists. Structuralists used a process known as introspection to analyze and report conscious sensations, thoughts, and experiences. American psychologist William Jamescompared consciousness to a stream; unbroken and continuous despite constant shifts and changes. While the focus of much of the research in psychology shifted to purely observable behaviors during the first half of the twentieth century, research on human consciousness has grown tremendously since the 1950s.
What aspects of consciousness to researchers study? Topics such as sleep, dreams, hypnosis, and the affects of psychoactive drugs are just a few of the major topics studied by psychologists. Body Clocks
Do you usually feel more energetic during mid-morning, but start to feel tired and run-down by mid-afternoon. This daily fluctuation in energy levels is known as your body's circadian rhythm. These 'body clocks' have a major impact on your consciousness as well as a wide number of physiological states. Read this article to learn more about these biological and environmental rhythms.
Circadian Rhythms: The Body's "Clock" All species have a timing mechanism, or 'clock,' that controls periods of activity and inactivity. These clocks are known as circadian rhythms and refer the cycle of physiological and biological processes that fluctuate on a roughly 24-hour timetable. You have probably noticed these tendencies yourself, feeling more energetic and alert during peak periods of the day and more lethargic and run-down at other times of the day. While many people refer to circadian rhythms as a single process, there are actually a number of body clocks that oscillate throughout the day. For example, mental alertness tends to peak twice in a day at 9AM and 9PM, while physical strength tends to crest at 11AM and 7PM. How Does Your Body "Keep Time?":
