Unit 1 - AP Psych Vocab (Part 2)

unconscious mind

processes info simultaneously

conscious mind

processes info one thing at a time

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

releases melatonin, which helps us fall asleep

Annual Cycles

Seasonal variations in appetite, sleep, and mood

Seasonal Affective Disorder

a mood disorder people experience during dark winter months

28-day cycle

The female menstrual cycle averages 28 days. Menstruation may not affect moods

24-hour cycles

24-hour cycles of cycling of varying alertness (sleep)

Circadian Rhythms

occur on a 24-hour cycle & include sleep & wakefulness

Beta waves

Awake & Alert (15-30 cps)

Alpha waves

Awake & Relaxed (9-15 cps)

Theta waves

Sleep stages 1 & 2 (5-8 cps)

Delta waves

Sleep stages 3 & 4 (2-4 cps)

Stage 5 REM Sleep

Dreaming occurs. Back to Beta waves. “Paradoxical” sleep

Somnambulism

Sleepwalking

Nightmares

Frightening dreams

Night terrors

Intense fear w/ physiological reactions, “Old Hay” Syndrome

Narcolepsy

Overpowering urge to fall asleep that many occur anytime

Sleep apnea

Failure to breathe when asleep. Snoring.

Genes

Biochemical units of heredity

Chromosomes

composed of the DNA molecules

Genome

instructions for making us a human

Twin studies

help understand the nature vs nurture debate

Molecular Genetics

Studies molecular structure and functions of genes

Sensation

Detection of energy from any of our 5 senses

Perception

Processing that energy (from sensation) into meaning is

Bottom-Up Processing

You sense something, then the brain tells us what it is

Top-Down Processing

Based on our experiences. First we perceive in our brain, THEN we sense

Signal Detection Theory (SDT)

A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background noise

Difference Threshold

Minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time

Subliminal Threshold

When stimuli are below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

Weber’s Law

to notice a difference, the stimuli must differ by a constant proportion (%), not a constant amount

Sensory Application

Constant stimulation numbs our senses as we adapt to that stimulus

Transduction

the transformation of stimulus energy into meaningful information

Wavelength (Hue)

Hue color is determined by the light

Intensity (Brightness)

Intensity Amplitude (height) is related to brightness

Saturation

how pure (quality) is the color

Feature Detectors

Nerve cells that respond to specific features of the stimulus like shape, color, and movement

Cornea

Where the light enters the eye

Pupil

adjustable opening in center, which light enters

Iris

Muscle that expands and contracts to change the size of the opening (pupil) for light

Lens

Focuses the light rays on the retina

Retina

Contains sensory receptors that process visual information and sends it to the brain

Rods

movement detectors on our periphery (120 mil.)

Cones

Color detectors in the center of our retina (6 mil.)

Accommodation

The eye’s lens changes shape to help focus objects on the retina

Optic Nerve

Carries impulses from the eye to the brain

Blind Spot

Point where the optic nerve leaves the eye

Fovea

Central point in the retina where the eye’s cones (color) cluster

Trichromatic Theory

Young/Helmholtz suggested that the retina contains 3 receptors: red, blue, and green

Opponent Process Theory

We process four primary colors combined in pairs of red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white. Saturation

Visual Information Processing

Processing many aspects of a stimulus simultaneously is called parallel processing

Perceptual Illusions

Illusions provide good examples in understanding how perception is organized