michael782
michael782 Jan 23, 2026 β€’ 0 views

AP Psychology States of Consciousness Exam Prep

Hey everyone! πŸ‘‹ Getting ready for your AP Psychology exam and feeling a little lost in the world of States of Consciousness? No worries, I've got you covered! This study guide + practice quiz will help you ace that test. Let's get started! 🧠
🧠 General Knowledge

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kimberlysmith2004 Dec 27, 2025

πŸ“š Quick Study Guide

  • 🧠 Consciousness: Awareness of ourselves and our environment.
  • 😴 Sleep Stages:
    • 😴 NREM-1: Light sleep; hypnic jerks.
    • ⏱️ NREM-2: Deeper sleep; sleep spindles.
    • πŸ’€ NREM-3: Deepest sleep; delta waves; sleepwalking may occur.
    • πŸ‘οΈβ€πŸ—¨οΈ REM: Rapid eye movement; dreaming; paradoxical sleep.
  • πŸ›Œ Sleep Disorders:
    • 😴 Insomnia: Difficulty falling or staying asleep.
    • 🚢 Sleepwalking (Somnambulism): Occurs during NREM-3 sleep.
    • πŸ—£οΈ Night Terrors: High arousal and appearance of being terrified; occur during NREM-3.
    • πŸ˜ͺ Narcolepsy: Sudden uncontrollable sleep attacks.
    • 🫁 Sleep Apnea: Cessation of breathing during sleep.
  • πŸ§ͺ Psychoactive Drugs: Chemicals that affect the nervous system and result in altered consciousness.
    • ⬆️ Stimulants: Increase neural activity (e.g., caffeine, cocaine).
    • ⬇️ Depressants: Decrease neural activity (e.g., alcohol, barbiturates).
    • πŸ˜΅β€πŸ’« Hallucinogens: Distort perceptions and evoke sensory images (e.g., LSD, marijuana).
  • ⏳ Circadian Rhythm: Biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle.
  • πŸ’‘ Dual Processing: The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

Practice Quiz

  1. Which of the following is characteristic of REM sleep?
    1. Increased heart rate and breathing.
    2. Decreased brain activity.
    3. Sleepwalking.
    4. Slower, deeper breathing.
  2. A person who falls asleep in the midst of a heated argument probably suffers from
    1. insomnia.
    2. narcolepsy.
    3. sleep apnea.
    4. night terrors.
  3. The brain waves associated with REM sleep are most similar to those of
    1. NREM-1 sleep.
    2. NREM-3 sleep.
    3. stage 4 sleep.
    4. alert wakefulness.
  4. What is the primary function of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in sleep regulation?
    1. Releasing melatonin into the bloodstream.
    2. Controlling muscle paralysis during REM sleep.
    3. Regulating the circadian rhythm.
    4. Filtering sensory information during sleep.
  5. Which of the following is classified as a depressant?
    1. Caffeine.
    2. Nicotine.
    3. Alcohol.
    4. Cocaine.
  6. Which of the following describes the effects of stimulant drugs?
    1. They reduce reaction time.
    2. They decrease alertness.
    3. They increase neural activity and bodily functions.
    4. They relax muscles and calm anxiety.
  7. A split in consciousness in which one part of the mind operates independently of the other is called
    1. dual processing.
    2. selective attention.
    3. inattentional blindness.
    4. hypnosis.
Click to see Answers
  1. A
  2. B
  3. D
  4. C
  5. C
  6. C
  7. A

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