Psych 110 Ch. 4&5 - Exam 2

Alpha Wave

type of relatively low frequency, relatively high amplitude brain wave that becomes synchronized; characteristic of the beginning of stage 1 sleep

biological rythm

internal cycle of biological activity

Cataplexy

lack of muscle tone or muscle weakness, and in some cases complete paralysis of the voluntary muscles

central sleep apnea

sleep disorder with periods of interrupted breathing due to a disruption in signals sent from the brain that regulate breathing

circadian rhythm

biological rhythm that occurs over approximately 24 hours

Codeine

opiate with 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 such as insomnia

consciousness

awareness of internal and external stimuli

continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

device used to treat sleep apnea; includes a mask that fits over the sleeper's nose and mouth, which is connected to a pump that pumps air into the person's airways, forcing them to remain open

delta waves

type of low frequency, high amplitude brain wave characteristic of stage 3 and stage 4 sleep

Depressants

drug that tends to suppress central nervous system activity

euphoric high

feelings of intense elation and pleasure from drug use

evolutionary psychology

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

Hallucinogens

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

Homeostasis

tendency to maintain a balance, or optimal level, within a biological system

Hypnosis

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

insomnia

consistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep for at least three nights a week over a month's time

jet lag

collection of symptoms brought on by travel from one time zone to another that results from the mismatch between our internal circadian cycles and our environment

K complex

very high amplitude pattern of brain activity 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 that they are dreaming and can control the dream's content

manifest content

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

Mediation

clearing the mind in order to achieve

Melatonin

hormone secreted by the endocrine gland that serves as an important regulator of the sleepwake cycle

meta-analysis

study that combines the results of several related studies

Methadone

synthetic opioid that is less euphorogenic than heroin and similar drugs; used to manage withdrawal symptoms in opiate users

methadone clinic

uses methadone to treat withdrawal symptoms in opiate users

methampetamine

type of amphetamine that can be made from pseudoephedrine, an over the counter drug; widely manufactured and abused

Narcolepsy

sleep disorder in which the sufferer cannot resist falling to sleep at inopportune times

night terror

sleep disorder in which the sleeper experiences a sense of panic and may scream or attempt to escape from the immediate environment

non-REM sleep

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

obstructive sleep apnea

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

opiate/opiod

one of a category of drugs that has strong analgesic properties; opiates are produced from the resin of the opium poppy; includes heroin, morphine, methadone, and codeine

parinsomnia

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

physical dependence

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

pineal gland

endocrine structure located inside the brain that releases melatonin

psychological dependence

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

rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

period of sleep characterized by brain waves very similar to those during wakefulness and by darting movements of the eyes under closed eyelids

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD)

disorder in which the muscle paralysis associated with the REM sleep phase does not occur; sleepers have high level of physical activity during REM sleep, especially during disturbing dreams

restless leg syndrome

sleep disorder in which the sufferer has uncomfortable sensations in the legs when trying to fall asleep that are relieved by moving the legs

rotating shift work

work schedule that changes from early to late on a daily or weekly basis

sleep

state marked by relatively low levels of physical activity and reduced 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

result of insufficient sleep on a chronic basis

sleep rebound

sleep-deprived individuals will experience shorter sleep latencies during subsequent opportunities for sleep

sleep regulation

brain's control of switching between sleep and wakefulness as well as coordinating this cycle with the outside world

sleep spindle

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

sleepwalking (somnambulism)

sleep disorder in which the sleeper engages in relatively complex behaviors

stage 1 sleep

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

stage 2 sleep

second stage of sleep; the body goes into deep relaxation; characterized by the appearance of sleep spindles

stage 3 sleep

third stage of sleep; deeo sleep characterized by low frequency, high amplitude delta waves

stage 4 sleep

fourth stage of 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

sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

infant (one year old or younger) with no apparent medical condition suddenly dies during sleep

suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

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

theta waves

type of low frequency, low amplitude brain wave characteristic of the end of stage 1 sleep

tolerance

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

wakefulness

characterized by high levels of sensory awareness, thought, and behavior

withdrawal

variety of negative symptoms experienced when drug use is discontinued

absolute threshold

minimum amount of stimulus energy that must be present for the stimulus to be detected 50% of the time

afterimage

continuation of a visual sensation after removal of the stimulus

Amplitude

Height of a wave

basilar membrane

thin strip of tissue within the cochlea that contains the hair cells which serve as the sensory receptors for the auditory system

binaural cues

cue that relies on the use of both eyes

binocular disparity

slightly different view of the world that each eye receives

blind spot

point where we cannot respond to visual information in that portion of the visual field

bottom-up processing

system in which perceptions are built from sensory input

closure

organizing our perceptions into complete objects rather than as a series of parts

cochlea

fluid-filled, snail-shaped structure that contains the sensory receptor cells of the auditory system

cochlear implant

electronic device that consists of a microphone, a speech processor, and an electrode array to directly stimulate the auditory nerve to transmit information to the brain

conductive hearing loss

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

cone

specialized photoreceptor that works best in bright light conditions and detects color

congenital deafness

deafness from birth

congenital insensitivity to pain (congenital analgesia)

genetic disorder that results. in the inability to experience pain

cornea

transparent covering over the eye

deafness

partial or complete inability to hear

Decibel (dB)

a logarithmic unit of sound intensity

depth perception

ability to perceive depth

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 the retina that contains cones

Frequency

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

Gestalt Psychology

field of psychology based on the idea that the whole is different from the sum of its parts

good continuation

(also, continuity) we are more likely to perceive continuous, smooth flowing lines rather than jagged, broken lines

hair cells

auditory receptor cells of the inner ear

Hertz (Hz)

cycles per second; measure of frequency

inattentional blindness

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

incus

middle ear ossicle; also known as the anvil

inflammatory pain

signal that some type of tissue damage has occurred

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

colored portion of the eye

just noticeable difference

difference in stimuli required to detect a difference between the stimuli

kinesthesia

perception of the body's movement through space

lens

curved, transparent structure that provides additional focus for light entering the eye

linear perspective

perceive depth in an image when two parallel lines seem to converge

malleus

middle ear ossicle; also known as the hammer

Meissner's corpuscles

touch receptor that responds to pressure and lower frequency vibrations

Merkel's disks

touch receptor that responds to light touch

monaural cue

one-eared cue to localize sound