Exam 2 Review Guide

Consciousness

A person’s subjective experience of the world and mind.

Four basic properties of consciousness

Intentionality, Unity, Selectivity, Transience.

Intentionality

Focus directed toward an object.

Unity

The integration of all sensory information into a single experience.

Selectivity

Focusing on and including some objects while excluding others.

Transience

The tendency of consciousness to change; thoughts and attention shift constantly.

Depressants

Drugs that slow brain activity and central nervous system.

Examples of depressants

Alcohol, anxiolytic drugs, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opioids.

Stimulants

Drugs that increase the activity of the central nervous system.

Examples of stimulants

Cocaine, amphetamines, caffeine, nicotine.

Psychedelics/Hallucinogens

Drugs that cause powerful changes in sensory perception.

Examples of psychedelics

LSD, MDMA, psilocybin mushrooms, ketamine, peyote, DMT.

Trance state

A state of semi-consciousness with reduced awareness of surroundings.

Hypnosis

An altered state of consciousness often used for therapeutic purposes.

Hypnotic induction

The process of inducing a trancelike state in the patient.

Hypnotic implantation

The act of putting a thought or idea into a person's mind.

Purpose of sleep

Energy conservation, restorative processes, and memory consolidation.

Circadian rhythm

A 24-hour cycle of physical, mental, and behavioral changes in the body.

Melatonin

Hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles, increases drowsiness.

Hypnopompic hallucinations

False perceptions occurring during the transition from wakefulness to sleep.

Hypnogogic hallucinations

False perceptions occurring during the transition from sleep to wakefulness.

REM sleep

Sleep stage characterized by rapid eye movement, dreaming, and high brain activity.

Differences between REM and non-REM sleep

REM sleep includes dreaming and muscle paralysis; non-REM sleep has deeper stages.

Insomnia

Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or achieving high-quality sleep.

Sleep apnea

A disorder causing repeated interruptions to breathing during sleep.

Somnambulism

Sleepwalking; performing activities while still asleep.

Sleep paralysis

A state in which a person is conscious but unable to move.

Coma

An unconscious state without awareness or wakefulness.

Persistent vegetative state

Chronic condition with minimal consciousness and no awareness of the environment.

Brain death

Permanent and complete loss of brain function.

Sensation

The basic registration of physical stimuli through sense organs.

Perception

The organization, identification, and interpretation of sensations into mental representations.

Rubin’s vase

An illusion demonstrating figure-ground reversal.

Muller-Lyer illusion

An illusion where two lines of the same length appear different.

Ponzo illusion

An illusion where parallel lines appear different in length despite being the same.

Rods and cones

Photoreceptors in the eye that respond to light.

Trichromatic theory of color

Theory that humans perceive color through red, green, and blue light combinations.

Color blindness

Inability to perceive colors normally; predominantly affects men.

Prosopagnosia

Face blindness; inability to recognize familiar faces.

Nociceptors

Pain receptors that respond to potentially harmful stimuli.

Mind-body connection

The relationship between mental/emotional states and physical health.

Symptom amplification

The increased sensation of pain due to focused attention on it.

Opioids

Drugs used for pain relief; common examples include morphine and codeine.

Best psychotherapy treatment for pain

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Gustation

Taste; the sense of perceiving flavors through taste buds.

Five senses

Vision, olfaction, gustation, audition, tactile sensation.

Cats and sweetness

Cats cannot taste sweetness due to lack of specific receptors.

Taste aversion

Learned avoidance of a taste associated with negative experiences.

Ageusia

Total inability to detect any taste.

Hypogeusia

Reduced ability to taste certain flavors.

Olfaction

The sense of smell; ability to detect airborne chemicals.

Reason you can't smell yourself

Your brain prioritizes new smells over familiar ones.

Audition

Hearing; the ability to sense and process sound.