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Double-Blind Procedure
A method in which both the participants and researchers are unaware of who is in the experimental or control group.
Neuron
A nerve cell; the basic building blocks of the nervous system
Neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that transmit signals across synapses between neurons.
Sympathetic Nervous System
The part of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for stressful or emergency situations, often referred to as the "fight or flight" response.
Perception
The process by which sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced. It allows individuals to make sense of the world around them.
Absolute Threshold
The minimum intensity of a stimulus that can be detected by an individual 50% of the time.
Difference Threshold (Just Noticeable Difference)
The minimum difference in stimulus intensity that a person can detect 50% of the time, indicating the smallest change that can be perceived.
Bottom-Up Processing
A method of perception that begins with the sensory input, where perception starts with the stimulus itself and builds up to the final perception.
Vestibular Sence
The sense that provides information about balance, spatial orientation, and movement, primarily through the inner ear.
Signal Detection Theory
A theory that explains how we detect a stimulus amid noise, considering both the intensity of the stimulus and the individual's psychological state.
Gestalt Principles
Theories in psychology that explain how we perceive and organize visual elements into groups or unified wholes, emphasizing that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Endorphins
Neurotransmitters that act as natural painkillers and mood enhancers, often released during exercise or stress.
Dopamine
Neurotransmitters that act on areas of the brain to give you feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. Also has a role to play in controlling memory, mood, sleep, learning, concentration, movement and other body functions.
Functionalism
An early school of thought in psychology that focused on how mental and behavioral processes function, helping organisms adapt to their environment. William James.
Structuralism
An early school of thought in psychology that aimed to understand the structure of the mind by breaking down mental processes into their most basic components. Founded by Wilhelm Wundt.
Alzheimer’s
a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects memory, thinking, and behavior, leading to severe cognitive decline. Affects acetylcholine levels in the brain, impacting communication between neurons.
Acetylcholine
A neurotransmitter involved in many functions including memory and muscle movement, often affected in Alzheimer's disease.
Frontal Lobes
The regions of the brain located at the front, responsible for higher cognitive functions such as reasoning, planning, problem-solving, and emotional regulation.
Pre-Frontal Cortex
The part of the frontal lobes associated with decision-making, planning, and social behavior.
Cerebrum
The largest part of the brain, divided into two hemispheres, responsible for higher brain functions such as thought, action, and sensory processing.
Parietal Lobe
The region of the brain located behind the frontal lobes, involved in processing sensory information related to touch, temperature, and pain, as well as spatial awareness.
Behaviorism
A psychological approach that emphasizes the study of observable behavior and the role of environmental factors in shaping behavior. Skinner. Thoughts and feelings do not matter.
Cognitive Neuroscience
The study of the brain’s activity linked with cognition, including perception, thinking, memory, and language.
Feature Detectors
Neurons in the brain that respond to specific features, such as edges, lines, or angles.
Perceptual Set
A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another, influenced by context and expectations.
Trichromatic Theory
The theory that the retina contains three types of color receptors (red, green, blue), which produce color perception.
Opponent-Process Theory
A theory of color vision stating that opposing retinal processes enable color perception (e.g., red-green, blue-yellow).
NREM Sleep
Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep, divided into three stages (N1, N2, N3), primarily involving physical recovery and brain wave slowing.
REM Sleep
Rapid Eye Movement sleep, characterized by vivid dreams, brain activity resembling wakefulness, and muscle atonia (paralysis).
NREM-1
The lightest sleep stage with slowed breathing, irregular brain waves, and hypnagogic sensations (e.g., falling).
NREM-2
A deeper sleep stage featuring sleep spindles (bursts of brain activity), where the body starts to relax further.
NREM-3
Deep sleep or slow-wave sleep characterized by delta brain waves; crucial for physical restoration and growth.
Sleep Spindles
Bursts of brain activity occurring during NREM-2 sleep, important for memory consolidation.
Sleep Paralysis
A temporary inability to move during the transition into or out of REM sleep.
Role of REM Sleep
Essential for emotional processing, memory consolidation, and brain development.
Circadian Rhythm
The biological 24-hour clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles, influenced by light and hormones like melatonin.
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