AP Psychology Practice Test: States of Consciousness

This AP Psychology practice test covers states of consciousness. Key topics include sleep, dreaming, hypnosis, and the effects of psychoactive drugs. Try our multiple choice quiz questions to test your knowledge.

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Question 1

Which will most likely be affected by traveling to a distant location that is 8 time zones ahead of your original location?

A
Seasonal Affective Disorder
B
Narcolepsy
C
REM rebound
D
Lucid dreaming
E
Circadian rhythm
Question 1 Explanation: 
The correct answer is (E). Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and temperature in an organism’s environment. Activities that alter sleep can negatively influence circadian rhythm.
Question 2

Large, slow brain waves called Delta waves occur within which stage of sleep?

A
NREM-1
B
NREM-2
C
NREM-3
D
REM Sleep
E
Lucid Dreaming
Question 2 Explanation: 
The correct answer is (C). The brain begins emitting delta waves in stage NREM-3 of sleep. NREM-3 is also referred to as deep sleep or delta sleep; it is very difficult to wake someone from this state. In deep sleep, there is no rapid eye movement and heart rate, breathing, and temperature are at their lowest.
Question 3

What drug most commonly inhibits arousal centers?

A
Amphetamines
B
Barbiturates
C
Cocaine
D
Hallucinogens
E
Nicotine
Question 3 Explanation: 
The correct answer is (B). Barbiturates are CNS depressants. Their effects can range from weak sedation to complete anesthesia. Because of these effects on the central nervous system, barbiturates are known to inhibit arousal centers.
Question 4

Which of the following statements about the typical pattern of sleep cycles is false?

A
If someone has been sleep-deprived, he or she enters REM sleep sooner after falling asleep than he or she otherwise would.
B
Infants spend more time in REM sleep than do adults.
C
Near the end of a good night’s sleep, a person spends most of his or her time in Stages NREM-2, and REM.
D
The first stage of sleep is NREM-1.
E
We are most easily awakened from NREM-3 sleep.
Question 4 Explanation: 
The correct answer is (E). Stage NREM-3 is actually the deepest, most restorative stage of sleep. We are least likely to naturally wake up during NREM-3 sleep. All the other statements are true.
Question 5

During which stage of sleep are EEG recordings most similar to those during alert, awake periods, giving this stage its nickname, “paradoxical sleep?”

A
REM Sleep
B
NREM-1
C
NREM-2
D
NREM-3
E
Insomnia
Question 5 Explanation: 
The correct answer is (A). REM sleep is physiologically different from the other three sleep stages. Among these differences is the similarity between the brain activity during REM sleep and the brain activity during alert periods. Although REM Sleep is generally "active"(brain waves are active, heart rate and breathing are fluctuating, eyes move rapidly), messages are blocked from reaching the muscles, resulting in external muscle paralysis.
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