Psychology: Consciousness, Sleep, Neurons, Brain Structures & Cognitive Heuristics

Consciousness

awareness of thoughts feelings and environment; example being awake and aware of surroundings

Wakefulness

state of alert awareness; example responding to sounds

Sleep

natural state of reduced awareness; example REM and non-REM sleep

Circadian Rhythm

24 hour biological clock controlled by SCN; example jet lag

REM Sleep

dreaming stage with brain activity; example vivid dreams

REM Rebound

extra REM after deprivation; example more dreaming after sleep loss

Activation-Synthesis Theory

dreams are brain making sense of random signals; example strange dream stories

Insomnia

trouble falling or staying asleep; example chronic fatigue

Narcolepsy

sudden uncontrollable sleep attacks; example falling asleep in class

Sleep Apnea

breathing repeatedly stops during sleep; example loud snoring and fatigue

Neuron

basic nerve cell; example transmitting signals

Dendrites

receive messages; example incoming signals

Axon

sends electrical signals; example action potential

Myelin Sheath

insulates axon speeds signal; example multiple sclerosis damage

Action Potential

electrical impulse down axon; example neuron firing

All-or-Nothing

neuron fires fully or not; example gun firing

Synapse

gap between neurons; example neurotransmitters cross

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers; example dopamine

Dopamine

movement and reward; example Parkinson's disease

Serotonin

mood and sleep; example depression

GABA

main inhibitory transmitter; example anxiety control

Glutamate

main excitatory transmitter; example learning

Acetylcholine

muscle movement and memory; example Alzheimer's

Central Nervous System

brain and spinal cord; example thinking and reflexes

Peripheral Nervous System

nerves outside CNS; example arm nerves

Sympathetic Nervous System

fight or flight; example increased heart rate

Parasympathetic Nervous System

rest and digest; example digestion

Reflex Arc

automatic spinal response; example pulling hand from stove

Brainstem

controls survival functions; example breathing

Cerebellum

balance and coordination; example riding a bike

Limbic System

emotion and memory; example fear

Hippocampus

forms memories; example studying

Amygdala

emotion processing; example fear response

Frontal Lobe

decision making; example planning

Parietal Lobe

touch and spatial skills; example navigation

Occipital Lobe

vision; example reading

Temporal Lobe

hearing and language; example listening

Broca's Area

speech production; example aphasia

Wernicke's Area

language comprehension; example fluent nonsense speech

Concepts

mental categories; example photosynthesis

Prototype

best example of concept; example robin as bird

Schemas

mental frameworks; example dog schema

Assimilation

fitting info into existing schema; example new dog breed

Accommodation

changing schema; example learning cat vs dog

Algorithm

step by step problem solving; example math formula

Heuristics

mental shortcuts; example availability heuristic

Representative Heuristic

judging by prototype; example criminal stereotype

Availability Heuristic

judging by ease of recall; example fear of flying

Mental Set

sticking to old strategies; example math formula habit

Framing

presentation affects decisions; example 90 percent fat free

Priming

exposure influences response; example fast food ads

Gambler's Fallacy

believing chance self corrects; example coin flips

Sunk Cost Fallacy

continuing due to past investment; example staying in disliked major

Memory

encoding storing retrieving info; example studying

Encoding

getting info into memory; example note taking

Storage

keeping info over time; example long term memory

Retrieval

getting info out; example test taking

Explicit Memory

conscious memory; example facts

Episodic Memory

personal events; example birthday

Semantic Memory

general knowledge; example vocabulary

Implicit Memory

unconscious memory; example riding a bike

Procedural Memory

motor skills; example typing

Prospective Memory

remembering to do things; example taking medicine

Working Memory

active mental workspace; example mental math

Central Executive

directs attention; example planning

Phonological Loop

auditory storage; example repeating directions

Visuospatial Sketchpad

visual storage; example imagining map

Sensory Memory

brief sensory storage; example flash of image

Iconic Memory

visual sensory memory; example sparkler trail

Echoic Memory

auditory sensory memory; example last words heard

Short-Term Memory

holds info briefly; example phone number

Long-Term Memory

stores info long term; example history facts

Automatic Processing

effortless encoding; example reading words

Effortful Processing

requires attention; example studying

Levels of Processing

deeper processing improves memory; example semantic meaning

Mnemonic Devices

memory aids; example acronyms

Method of Loci

associating with places; example house rooms

Spacing Effect

spread studying improves memory; example weekly review

Massed Practice

cramming; example all night study

Distributed Practice

spaced learning; example daily review

Serial Position Effect

remember first and last; example grocery list

Primacy Effect

remember beginning; example first items

Recency Effect

remember end; example last items

Chunking

grouping info; example phone numbers

Maintenance Rehearsal

repeating info; example grocery list

Elaborative Rehearsal

linking to meaning; example making connections

Recall

retrieving without cues; example essay test

Recognition

identifying with cues; example multiple choice

Context-Dependent Memory

same environment improves recall; example same classroom

State-Dependent Memory

same internal state improves recall; example caffeine

Mood-Congruent Memory

recall matches mood; example sad memories

Testing Effect

testing improves retention; example practice quizzes

Metacognition

thinking about thinking; example adjusting study methods

Forgetting Curve

memory declines over time; example rapid forgetting

Encoding Failure

info never stored; example forgetting names

Proactive Interference

old blocks new; example old password

Retroactive Interference

new blocks old; example new language

Inadequate Retrieval

lack of cues; example blanking

Tip of the Tongue

feeling of knowing; example actor name

Repression

pushing traumatic memories out; example Freud