ap psych vocab quiz idk sleep->embodied cognition

Sleep

a periodic, natural loss of consciousness — as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation.

Circadian Rhythm

our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle.

REM sleep

rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur.

Alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state.

NREM sleep

non-rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages except for REM sleep.

Hallucinations

false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus.

Hypnagogic Sensations

bizarre experiences, such as jerking or a feeling of falling or floating weightlessly, while transitioning to sleep.

Delta waves

the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep.

Superchiasmatic nucleus

a pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm.

Insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep.

Narcolepsy

a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks.

Sleep apnea

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings.

REM sleep behavior disorder

a sleep disorder in which normal REM paralysis does not occur; instead, twitching, talking, or even kicking or punching may occur.

Dreams

a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind.

REM rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation.

Sensation

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

Sensory receptors

sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli.

Perception

the process by which our brain organizes and interprets sensory information, enabling us to recognize objects and events as meaningful.

Bottom-up processing

information processing that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information.

Top-down processing

information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations.

Transduction

conversion of one form of energy into another.

Psychophysics

the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them.

Absolute threshold

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

Signal theory

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

Subliminal

below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness.

Difference threshold

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time.

Weber's law

the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount).

Sensory adaptation

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.

Wavelength

the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next.

Hue

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light.

Intensity

the amount of energy in a light wave or sound wave, which influences what we perceive as brightness or loudness.

Cornea

The eye's clear, protective outer layer, covering the pupil and iris.

Pupil

The adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters.

Iris

A ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening.

Lens

The transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina.

Retina

The light-sensitive back inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information.

Accommodation

(1) In sensation and perception, the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus images of near or far objects on the retina. (2) In developmental psychology, adapting our current schemas (understandings) to incorporate new information.

Rods

Retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray, and are sensitive to movement; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond.

Cones

Retinal receptors that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. Cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.

Optic nerve

The nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain.

Blind spot

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

Fovea

The central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster.

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory

The theory that the retina contains three different types of 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, blue-yellow, white-black) enable color vision.

Feature detectors

Nerve cells in the brain's visual cortex that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement.

Parallel processing

Processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously.

Audition

The sense of hearing.

Frequency

The number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (for example, per second).

Pitch

A tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency.

Middle ear

The chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window.

Cochlea

A coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses.

Inner ear

The innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.

Sensorineural hearing loss

The most common form of hearing loss, caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerve; also called nerve deafness.

Conduction hearing loss

A less common form of hearing loss, caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.

Cochlear implant

A device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea.

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.

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.

Gustation

Our sense of taste.

Olfaction

Our sense of smell.

Kinesthesis

Our movement sense — our system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts.

Vestibular sense

Our balance sense; our sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance.

Sensory interaction

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

Embodied cognition

The influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgments.