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Exam 2- stress&consc
Intro to Psychology
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| what is sleep? | sleep is periodic, natural loss of consciousness |
| what role does the hypothalamus have in sleep? | its the central regulator of circadian rhythms |
| circadian rhythm | our body's internal clock which functions on roughly a 24-hour cycle |
| melatonin | a hormone that is important for inducing feelings of drowsiness and sleep |
| pineal gland | acted on by the SCN to release melatonin into the blood stream |
| retina | light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eyeball sends electric signals along the optic nerve to the brain |
| suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) | receives neural stimulation which stimulates production of melatonin |
| what are the cons of taking melatonin? | our bodies learn they don't need to produce melatonin so they stop producing it |
| what is stress? | the process by which we perceive and respond to certain evets, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging |
| what are the consequences of stress? | unhealthy behaviors, immune system deficiencies, motivates us to solve problems |
| which system is activated when we are under threat? | fight or flight sympathetic nervous system |
| what system brings us back to homeostasis once the threat passes? | parasympathetic nervous system |
| what happens to our physical health when we experience chronic stress? | we experience heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and immune system deficiencies |
| what happens to our mental health when we experience chronic stress? | we experience increased risk for depression, anxiety, and PTSD it also negatively impacts areas of the brain responsible for mood regulation and stress processing (amygdala) |
| how can stress be good for us? | it can be a motivator for us to change, make a decision, or do something we've been procrastinating |