PSYC1003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Circadian Rhythm, Alpha Wave, Melatonin
Document Summary
The idea of consciousness dates to the roots of psychology. But by the 1960s, consciousness had been almost entirely removed and replaced by behaviorism (that which can be observed). Around 1960, neuroscience made the study of consciousness possible again. Monitoring the brain (and thus consciousness) made this possible. Altered states of consciousness (like hypnosis and the effect of drugs) also became popular. The importance of cognition (mental processes) was also recognized. Consciousness is our awareness of ourselves and our environment. While asleep we"re not totally out of it or totally unconscious. People are built on an inborn 24-hour biological clock called the circadian rhythm. It regulates things like when we wake up, when we feel sleepy. Light in the morning hits our retinas which activates our suprachiasmatic nucleus (scn) in our brain which cuts down the pineal gland"s production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Being in bright light at night cuts down on sleep.
