Unit 1 psych pt 2 (Sleep and sensation)

Consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our envrioment

Circadian Rhythm

The biological clock; regular bodily rhythms

Jet Lag

A temporary psychological condition that occurs when a persons circadian rhythm, or “internal clock” is out of synch with the time zone they are in

EEG patterns

Periodic rhythms recored in the brain’s electrical activity; alpha waves, beta waves, theta waves, and delta waves

NREM

½ awake ½ asleep

Hypnagogic sensations

occurs as you enter NREM 1 and is a sensation of impending threat, feelings of suffocation, and sensations of floating, spinning, or falling

NREM 2

light sleep- associated with sleep talking

NREM 3

deep sleep. Hormones for growth in children, immune system refreshes itself

REM sleep (paradoxical sleep)

Rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur and body is immobilized 

Rem rebounds

A phenomenon that occurs when a person experiences more rapid eye movement sleep than normal after a period of sleep deprivation or stress

Consolidation dream theory

The idea that sleep helps convert short-term memories into long-term memories by strengthening neural connections

Activation Synthesis dream theory 

During the night, our brain stem releases random neural activity, dreams may be a way to make sense of that activity

Insomnia

Inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. Treatment include reduction of caffeine, set sleep schedule, etc.

Narcolepsy

A disease marked by sudden and irresistible onsets of sleep during normal waking periods. Treatments include medication, changing sleep patterns, and introduction of naps during the day

Sleep apnea 

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakening. Treatments include a respiration matchine

REM sleep behavior disorder

A sleep disorder in which you physically and vocally act of vivid, often unpleasant dreams during REM sleep

Somnambulism (Sleep walking)

A behavior disorder that originated during sleep and results in walking or performing other complex behaviors while still mostly asleep

Sensation

the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our enviromentA

Absolute threshold

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time.

Difference threshold

The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience this as a just noticeable difference

Weber’s law

To perceive as different, 2 stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage. Light intensity= 8%, Weight= 2% and tones = 0.3%

Sensory adaptation

Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

Sensory interaction

The principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste

Synesthesia

A condition in which one sense is simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses such as sight. Another form joins objects such as letters, shapes, numbers, or people’s names with a sensory perception such as smell, color, or flavor.

retina 

contains sensory receptors that processes visual information and sends it to the brain (transduction occurs here)

Lens

transparent structure behind pupil in the eye that changes shape to focus images on retina

optic nerve

carries the impulses from the retina to the brain to interpret them as images

Blindspot

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there

Accommodation

 process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

Nearsightedness

a condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects because distant objects focus in front of the retina.

Farsightedness

abnormal condition in which vision for distant objects is better than for near objects.

Photoreceptor cells

Specialized light-sensitive neurons in the retina that convert light into neural impulses

• blue (detecting short wavelengths)

• green (detecting medium wavelengths) 

• red (detecting long wavelengths) cones in the retina. 

Cones

detect fine detail & color vision, near center of retina (fovea), daylight or well-lit conditions

Rods

detect black, white & gray, peripheral retina, twilight or low light

Fovea

Located in the retina, contains a concentration of cones that provides the clearest vision of all.

Transduction

conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brain can interpret

Trichromatic theory

the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors - one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue - which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color

Opponent process theory 

the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green

Ganglion cells

are neurons that relay information from the retina to the brain via the optic nerve.

Afterimages

are the visual illusions that occur when we continue to see an image even after it has been removed from our field of vision.

Dichromatic

is when a person can't see a certain set of two colors, usually red and green or yellow and blue

Monochromatic

is when a person can't see any color and only sees the world in black-and-white

Prosopagnosia

is classically defined as an inability to recognize faces of people known to the patient on the basis of visual perception

Blindsight

is the ability to respond to visual information without consciously seeing it

Wavelength (pitch)

Dimension of frequency determined by wavelength of sound. 

Amplitude (loudness)

Amount of energy in a wave determined by amplitude relates to perceived loudness.

Place theory 

in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated

Frequency theory

 in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch

Volley theory 

 the principle that individual fibers in an auditory nerve respond to one or another stimulus in a rapid succession of rhythmic sound stimuli, whereas other fibers in the nerve respond to the second, third, or nth stimulus (explains that since neurons cannot fire more than 1000 times in a minute, some neurons alternate firing. These neurons  then fire in succession so fast that they create a combined frequency above 1000 waves/second)

Sound Localization

 requires input from both ears and sound waves reach the nearer ear before or in less time than they reach the more distant ear

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

 hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness

Conduction Hearing Loss

hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea

Olfaction

 is the sense of smell. Odors first interact with receptor proteins associated with hairs in the nose. The hairs convey information to the brain's olfactory bulbs, located on the underside of the brain. 

• Smell is the only sense not processed first in the thalamus of the brain.

Pheromones

chemical signals released by members of a species that can affect the behavior of other members of the same species

Gustation 

 the mouth's ability to tell the difference between sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami, and oleogustus properties

• Sweet - indicates energy source

• Salty -  indicates sodium essential to physiological processes

• Sour -  indicates potentially toxic acid

• Bitter - indicates  potential poisons

• Umami -  indicates proteins to grow and repair tissues

  • Oleogustus -  indicates fats for energy, insulation, and cell growth

Supertater

 is a person who experiences the sense of taste with far greater intensity than average

Medium-tatsers

Have an average ability to sense different flavors.

Non-tasters

Have less taste perception than medium-tasters, and may need more spice and flavor to make food taste good

Touch

is a mix of pressure, warmth, cold, and pain. Variations of these four include tickling, itching, and wetness

• Structures within the skin and brain process and/or transduce touch stimuli. The sensation of “hot” is produced by the activation of warm and cold receptors in the skin.

Gate-Control Theory

the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The "gate" is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain

Phantom Limb

the ability to feel sensations and even pain in a limb or limbs that no longer exist

Kinesthesia

 the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

Vestibular Sense

 the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance

Semicircular Canals 

a set of three looped tubular channels in the inner ear that detect movements of the head and provide the sense of dynamic equilibrium that is essential for maintaining balance