Studied by 17 people
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Activation-synthesis
Theory suggesting dreams are the brain’s attempt to make sense of random neural activity during sleep.
Circadian rhythm
The 25-hour biological clock governing cycles like sleep and wakefulness.
Consciousness
The awareness of ourselves and our environment.
Consolidation theory
Theory that suggests sleep helps strengthen and solidify memories.
Dream
A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind.
Hypnagogic sensations
Sensory experiences that occur during the transition from wakefulness to sleep.
Insomnia
Persistent problems in falling or staying asleep.
Jet lag
A temporary sleep disorder due to travel across multiple time zones.
Narcolepsy
A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks.
NREM
Non-rapid eye movement sleep, encompassing stages of sleep without vivid dreams.
NREM stages 1-4
Progressive sleep stages from light to deep sleep, each with unique brain wave patterns.
REM behavior disorder
A disorder in which a person physically acts out dreams during REM sleep.
REM rebound
Increased frequency of REM sleep after being deprived of it.
REM sleep
Rapid eye movement sleep, where vivid dreams often occur.
Shift work
Employment schedules that disrupt normal sleep cycles, often causing fatigue.
Sleep
A natural and reversible state of reduced responsiveness and physical activity.
Sleep apnea
A sleep disorder involving interrupted breathing during sleep.
Sleep hygiene
Practices that promote regular, restful sleep.
Sleep spindles
Bursts of brain activity during NREM stage 2 sleep, thought to play a role in memory consolidation.
Somnambulism
Also known as sleepwalking, involves walking or performing other activities while asleep.
Absolute threshold
The minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.
Amplitude
The height of a wave, related to the intensity or brightness of a stimulus.
Difference threshold
The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time.
Intensity
The amount of energy in a stimulus, affecting brightness or loudness.
Just-noticeable difference
The smallest difference in stimulus intensity that a specific sense can detect.
Sensation
The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive stimulus energies.
Sensory adaptation
Reduced sensitivity in response to constant stimulation.
Sensory interaction
The principle that one sense may influence another.
Synesthesia
A condition in which one sense is simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses.
Transduction
The process of converting one form of energy into another, as in sensory input to neural signals.
Wavelength
The distance between successive peaks of a wave, determining hue in vision and pitch in hearing.
Weber’s law
Principle that to perceive a difference, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage.
Accommodation
The process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus on near or far objects.
Afterimages
Visual images that remain after a stimulus is removed.
Blind spot
The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot.
Blindsight
The ability to respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them.
Cones
Photoreceptors in the retina responsible for color vision and high spatial acuity.
Dichromatism
A form of color blindness where one of the three cone photopigments is missing.
Farsightedness
A condition in which distant objects are seen more clearly than near objects.
Ganglion cells
Neurons in the retina that transmit visual information to the brain.
Lens
The transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images.
Monochromatism
Complete color blindness, resulting in seeing only shades of gray.
Nearsightedness
A condition in which close objects appear clearly, but distant ones do not.
Opponent-process theory
Theory that color vision is enabled by opposing retinal processes.
Optic nerve
The nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain.
Photoreceptors
Cells in the retina that respond to light.
Prosopagnosia
Inability to recognize faces, also known as face blindness.
Retina
The light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye that contains photoreceptors.
Rods
Photoreceptors in the retina that detect black, white, and gray and are sensitive to movement.
Trichromatic theory
Theory of color vision based on three cone types for red, green, and blue.
Audition
The sense or act of hearing.
Basilar membrane
Structure within the cochlea that plays a key role in hearing.
Cochlea
A coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear that transforms sound into neural messages.
Conduction deafness
Hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves.
Frequency
The number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time.
Frequency theory
Theory that pitch is determined by the frequency of neural impulses.
Inner Ear
The innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.
Middle ear
The chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones.
Pitch
A tone’s highness or lowness, which depends on frequency.
Place theory
Theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated.
Semicircular canals
Structures in the inner ear involved in maintaining balance.
Sensorineural deafness
Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or auditory nerves.
Sound localization
The process of determining the location of a sound source.
Gate control theory
Theory suggesting that spinal gates control pain signals sent to the brain.
Gustation (Other Senses)
The sense of taste.
Kinesthesis
The system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts.
Oleogustus
A proposed taste category for fatty acids.
Olfactory system
The sensory system for the sense of smell.
Phantom limb
Sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached.
Pheromones
Chemical signals released by organisms to affect the behavior of others of the same species.
Supertasters
People with heightened sensitivity to certain tastes.
Taste receptors
Cells located in taste buds that detect the five main tastes.
Vestibular sense
The sense of body movement and position, including balance.
Volley theory
Theory of pitch perception suggesting that groups of neurons fire in a staggered fashion.
Warm/cold receptors
Sensory receptors that respond to changes in temperature.
