Psychology 110 Homework Week 7

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1. Explain how the use of substances alters a person’s state of consciousness, including depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. Include in this explanation what happens to the neurotransmitters and body chemicals as well as how you might recognize if a person at work or in your family is in an altered state of consciousness due to the influence of drugs. Drugs can either enhance a particular neurotransmitter’s effect (an agonist drug) or inhibit it (an antagonist drug). Depressants act on the central nervous system to suppress or slow bodily processes and to reduce overall responsiveness. Stimulants increase the overall activity and responsiveness of the central nervous system. Hallucinogens produce sensory or perceptual distortions, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic hallucinations. Some ways you can recognize if someone is on drugs is by their physical, emotional, and behavioral appearance. You can tell if they have bloodshot eyes, dilated or constricted pupils. You can also tell if they have mood changes, loss of interest, or are very defensive. Another way of telling if they are abusing drugs is if someone has poor work attendance, or can’t hold a conversation. 2. This question has five parts. One of the cornerstones of Freudian theory is the concept of the unconscious not to be confused with the state of being knocked unconscious by a blow to the head. (a) What did Freud mean by the concept of the unconscious? (b) When is it beneficial for much of our behavior to be unconscious? (c) When is it not beneficial? (d) If much of our behavior is unconscious, can you recognize unconscious behavior in yourself and in others? (e) How would you know behavior was unconsciously driven? According to Freud, the unconscious mind is where feelings, urges, and memories exist outside of our conscious awareness. He believed many people repressed painful
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