AP Psych - Touch, pain, smell, taste

pressure

sense of pushing or touching on the skin

warmth

sense of heat on the skin

cold

sense of low temperature on the skin

pain

body’s warning signal that something is harmful

sensory receptors

cells that detect touch, temperature, or pain

nociceptors

receptors that sense painful or damaging stimuli

somatosensory cortex

brain area that processes touch

bottom-up processing

information going from the body to the brain

top-down processing

brain shaping how sensations feel

biopsychosocial approach

pain influenced by body, mind, and environment

gate-control theory

spinal cord “gate” opens or closes to control pain

spinal cord

pathway carrying messages between body and brain

endorphins

brain chemicals that reduce pain

phantom limb sensation

feeling pain or movement in a missing limb

chronic pain

long-lasting pain that doesn’t go away

placebo

fake treatment that reduces pain because of belief

distraction

focusing attention away from pain to reduce it

taste buds

receptors on the tongue for taste

gustation

the sense of taste

basic tastes

sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami, and fat

flavor

combination of taste, smell, and texture

sensory interaction

one sense affecting another (like taste and smell)

olfaction

the sense of smell

olfactory receptors

cells in the nose that detect odors

olfactory bulb

brain area that processes smell

limbic system

brain region for emotion and memory (linked to smell)

odor molecules

airborne chemicals that create smell

kinesthesis

sense of body position and movement

proprioceptors

sensors in muscles and joints that tell the brain about movement

vestibular sense

sense of balance and head movement

semicircular canals

inner ear tubes that detect rotation and balance

vestibular sacs

inner ear structures that detect gravity and movement

dizziness

off-balance feeling when inner ear fluid shifts

tickle

sensation from light repeated pressure

itch

sensation from gentle repeated stimulation of pain spots

wetness illusion

cold + pressure that feels like wetness

sensory cortex activation

brain activity when touched

empathy and pain

feeling more pain when seeing others hurt

cultural influence on pain

culture shaping how people show or feel pain