Intro to Psych Exam II

biological rhythm

internal cycle of biological activity

Cataplexy

Lack of muscle tone or muscle weakness; some cases complete paralysis of voluntary muscles

Central sleep apnea

sleep disorder where there are periods of interrupted breathing caused by a disruption in signals sent from the brain that regulate breathing

circadian rhythm

biological rhythm that occurs over approximately 24 hours

codeine

type of opiate with a relatively low potency often prescribed for minor pain

cognitive-behavioral therapy

psychotherapy that focuses on cognitive processes and problem behaviors that is sometimes used to treat sleep disorders like insomnia

consciousness

being aware of internal/external stimuli

continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

device that is used to treat sleep apnea; has mask that fits over sleepers nose and mouth, which is connected to pump that pumps air into persons airways, forcing them to stay open

Depressant

drug that suppresses central nervous system activity

euphoric high

feeling intense elation and pleasure from using drugs

evolutionary psychology

discipline that studies hoe universal patterns of behavior and cognitive processes have evolved over time as a result of natural selection

hallucinogen

a class of drugs that results in profound alterations in sensory and perceptual experiences, often with vivid hallucinations

homeostasis

maintaining a balance, or optimal level in biological system

hypnosis

state of extreme self-focus and attention in which minimal attention is given to external stimuli

insomnia

consistent diffucilty in falling asleep as least 3x a week over period of one month

jet lag

traveling from one time zone to another, resulting from the mismatch between our internal circadian cycles and environment

K-complex

very high amplitude pattern of brain activity that is associated with stage 2 sleep that may occur in response to environmental stimuli

latent content

hidden meaning of a dream, per Sigmund Freud’s view of the function of dreams

lucid dream

people become aware they are dreaming and can control the dreams content

manifest content

a storyline of events that occur during a dream, per Sigmund Freud’s view of the function of dreams

meditation

clearing the mind in order to achieve a state of relaxed awareness and focus

melatonin

the hormone secreted by endocrine gland, important regulator of our sleep-wake cycle

meta-analysis

study that combines results of several related studies

methadone

synthetic opioid that is less euphorigenic (causes/produces state of intense happiness or excitement) than heroine and similar drugs; used to manage withdrawal symptoms in opiate users

methadone clinic

uses methadone to treat withdrawal symptoms in opiate users

methamphetamine

type of amphetamine that can be made from pseudoephedrine, an OTC drug, widely manufactured and abused

Narcolepsy

a sleep disorder in which the sufferer can’t resist falling asleep at inopportune times

night terror

sleep disorder where sleeper experiences a sense of panic and may scream pr attempt to escape from immediate environment

non-REM (NREM)

period of sleep outside periods of rapid eye movements (REM)

obstructive sleep apnea

sleep disorder defined by episodes when breathing stops during sleep as result of blockage of airway

opiate/opiod

one form of a category of drugs that has strong analgesic properties; opiates are made from the resin of opium poppy; includes heroine, morphine, methadone, and codine

parasomnia

one of a group of sleep disorders that is characterized by unwanted, disruptive, more activity and/or experiences during sleep

physical dependence

changes in normal bodily functions that cause a drug user to experience symptoms upon cessation of use

pineal gland

endocrine structure located inside brain that releases melatonin

psychological dependence

emotional rather than physical need for drug which may be used to relieve psychological distress

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

period of sleep where brain waves very similar to those during wakefulness and when eyes dart back and forth under closed eyelids

REM sleep behavior disorders (RBD)

muscle paralysis associated with REM spell phase doesn’t occur, sleepers have high levels of physical activity during REM sleep, disturbing dreams

restless leg syndrome

Sleep disorder where sufferer has uncomfortable feelings in the legs when trying to fall asleep that are relieved by moving legs

rotating shift work

work schedule that changes from early to late on weekly basis

sleep

state marked by relatively low levels of physical activity and reduces sensory awareness that is distinct from periods of rest that occur during wakefulness

sleep apnea

sleep disorder defined by episodes during which breathing stops during sleep

sleep debt

not getting enough sleep on chronic basis

sleep rebound

when a sleep deprived individual experiences shorter sleep latencies during subsequent opportunities

sleep regulation

brain’s control of going between sleep and wakefulness as well as coordinating this cycle with outside world

sleep spindle

rapid burst of high frequency brain waves during stage 2 sleep that may be important for learning and memory

sleepwalking

(somnambulism) sleep disorder in which sleeper engages in relatively complex behaviors

stage 1 sleep

first stage of sleep; transitional phase which occurs between wakefulness and sleep, the period during which a person drifts off to sleep

stage 2 sleep

body goes into deep relaxation; characterized by appearance of sleep

stage 3 sleep;

deep sleep characterized by low frequency, high amplitude delta waves

stimulant

drug that tends to increase overall levels of neural activity; includes caffeine,nicotine, amphetamines, and cocaine.

suprachaismatic nucleus (SCN)

area of hypothalamus in which the body’s biological clock is located

tolerance

state of rewiring increasing quantities of the drug to gain desired effect

wakefulness

variety of negative symptoms experienced when drug is no longer being used

absolute threshold

minimum. amount of stimulus energy that needs to be present in order for stimulus to be detected 50% of time

afterimage

seeing image after it has been taken away

amplitude

height of wave

basilar membrane

thin strip of tissue within the cochlea containing hair cells which serves as sensory receptors for auditory system

binaural cue

two eared cue to localized sound

binocular cue

relies on use of both eyes

binocular disparity

slightly different view of world that each eye receives

blind spot

point where we can’t see or respond to visual information that portion of visual field

bottom up processing

system in which perceptions are built from sensory input

cochlea

fluid-filled, snail shape structure that contains sensory receptor cells of auditory nerve to transmit info to the brain

cochlear implant

electronic device that consists of mic, speech processor and an electrode array to directly stimulate auditory nerve to transmit into to brain

conductive hearing loss

failure in vibration of the eardrum and/or movement of ossicles

cone

specialized photo receptor that works to best in bright light conditions and detects colors

congenital deafness

deaf from birth

congenital insensitivity to pain (congenital analgesia)

genetic disorder that results in inability to experience pain

cornea

transparent covering over eye

deafness

partial or complete inability to hear

decible (dB)

lograrithmic unit of sound

depth perception

ability to see depth (how far/close something is)

electromagnetic spectrum

all the electromagnetic radiation that occurs in our environment

figure-ground relationship

segmenting our visual world into figure and ground

fovea

small indentation in retina that contains cones

frequency

number of waves that pass a given point in a given time period

hair cells

auditory receptor cell of inner ear

hertz Hz

cycles per second; measured per second

inattentional blindness

failure to notice something that is completely visible to lack of attention

interaural level difference

sound coming from one side of the body is more intense at the closest ear because of the attenuation of the sound wave as it passes through the head

interaural timing difference

small difference in the time at which a given sound wave arrives at each ear

iris

color part of eye

just noticeable difference

difference in stimuli required to detect a difference between stimuli

kinesthesia

perception of body’s movement through space

lens

curved transparent structure that provides additional focus for light entering eyes

lineral perspective

perceive depth in an image when 2 parallel lines seem to converge (meet at 2 points)

malleus

middle ear ossicle; known as hammer

messiness corpuscle

touch receptor that responds to pressure and lower frequency vibrations

merkel’s disk

touch receptor that responds to light touch

monaural cue

one-eared cue to localize sound

neuropathic pain (related to fibromyalgia)

pain from damage to neurons of either peripheral or central nervous system

nociception

sensory signal indicating potential harm and maybe pain

olfactory bulb

bulb-like structure at tip of the frontal lobe, where olfactory nerves begin

olfactory receptor

sensory cell for olfactory system

optic chasm

x shaped structure that sits right below brains ventral surface; represents the merging of optic nerves from both eyes and separation of info from the two sides of visual fielsto opposite of brain

optic nerve

carries visual info from retina to brain

ossicles

3 tiny bones in middle ear consistency of malleus, incus, stapes

pacinian corpuscle

touch receptor that detects transient pressure and higher frequency vibrations

pattern perception

ability to discriminate among different figures and shapes

peak

aka crest, highest point of wave