unit 3 flashcards

1. Sensation: Detection of stimuli by sensory organs.

2. Perception: Interpretation of sensory information by the brain.

3. Absolute Threshold: The minimum stimulus intensity detected 50% of the time.

4. Difference Threshold: The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli.

5. Weber’s Law: The principle that the difference threshold is proportional to the stimulus intensity.

6. Fechner’s Law: Perceived intensity increases logarithmically with actual stimulus intensity.

7. Signal Detection Theory: Explains how stimuli are detected amidst background noise, considering both sensitivity and decision-making.

8. Adaptation: Decreased sensitivity to constant stimuli over time.

9. Habituation: Decreased response to repeated, non-threatening stimuli.

10. Perceptual Set: The predisposition to perceive stimuli in a certain way.

11. Selective Attention: Focusing on specific stimuli while ignoring others.

12. Parts of the Eye (Pathway of Light): Light passes through the cornea, pupil, lens, and retina.

13. Rods: Photoreceptors in the retina sensitive to low light and peripheral vision.

14. Cones: Photoreceptors in the retina responsible for color vision and detail.

15. Visual Agnosia: Inability to recognize objects despite normal vision.

16. Trichromatic Theory: Color vision based on three types of cones sensitive to red, green, and blue.

17. Opponent Processing Theory: Color perception is controlled by opposing pairs (e.g., red-green, blue-yellow).

18. Subtractive vs. Additive Color Mixing: Subtractive mixing removes wavelengths; additive mixing adds them.

19. Phi Phenomenon: Perception of motion from sequential static images.

20. Figure-Ground Perception: The ability to distinguish an object from its background.

21. Gestalt Beliefs of Perception: The brain organizes patterns into a whole rather than individual parts.

22. Binocular Disparity and Depth Cues: The difference in images between two eyes provides depth perception.

23. Monocular Depth Cues: Depth cues available to one eye alone.

24. Visual Cliff: A test to assess depth perception in infants.

25. Perceptual Constancies (Shape, Color, Size): Perception of objects as unchanging despite changes in sensory input.

26. Distal Stimulus: The actual object in the environment.

27. Proximal Stimulus: The image on the retina or sensory receptors.

28. Feature Analysis Theory: Perception is built from analyzing individual features.

29. Nearsightedness vs. Farsightedness: Vision conditions where the eye focuses light incorrectly, causing blurry vision.

30. Parts of the Ear (Pathway of Sound): Sound travels through the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear (cochlea) to be processed.

31. Perceptive Deafness: Hearing loss due to damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve.

32. Conductive Deafness: Hearing loss due to problems in the outer or middle ear.

33. Vestibular System: The system responsible for balance and spatial orientation.

    Place Theory: Different frequencies stimulate different places on the basilar membrane.

34. Volley Theory: Groups of neurons fire in volleys to encode high-frequency sounds.

35. Frequency Theory: The frequency of nerve impulses corresponds to the frequency of a tone.

37. Cocktail Party Effect: The ability to focus on one voice among many in a noisy environment.

38. Dichotic Listening: A task in which different audio streams are presented to each ear.

39. Gustatory System: The sensory system responsible for taste.

40. Olfactory System: The sensory system responsible for smell.

41. Sensation of Touch: The perception of pressure, temperature, and pain via skin receptors.

42. Oleogustus: The taste of fat.

43. Gate Control Theory: The theory that pain signals are modulated by the spinal cord, which acts as a gate.

44. Kinesthetic System: The sensory system responsible for detecting body position and movement.

45. Synesthesia: A condition where stimulation of one sense leads to involuntary experiences in another sense.

46. Prosopagnosia: Inability to recognize faces despite normal vision.

47. Pheromones: Chemicals released by the body that affect the behavior of others of the same species.

48. Phantom Limb Sensation: The perception of sensations, including pain, in a limb that has been amputated.

• Circadian Rhythm: The body's 24-hour internal clock that regulates cycles of sleep and wakefulness.

• Alpha Waves: Slow brain waves that appear when a person is in a relaxed, awake state.

• Beta Waves: Fast brain waves that occur during alert, focused states.

• Stage 1 Sleep: The lightest sleep stage, where a person can easily be awakened; involves the transition from wakefulness to sleep.

• Stage 2 Sleep: A deeper stage of sleep characterized by sleep spindles (bursts of brain activity) and K-complexes.

• Stage 3 Sleep: Deep sleep marked by delta waves, often considered the most restorative sleep stage.

• REM Sleep: Rapid eye movement sleep, where vivid dreaming occurs, and brain activity resembles wakefulness.

• Activation-Synthesis Model: Theory suggesting that dreams result from the brain’s attempt to make sense of random neural activity during sleep.

• Hypnagogic Sensations: Sensory experiences, like falling or floating, that occur as a person transitions to sleep.

• Paradoxical Sleep: Another name for REM sleep, where the brain is active, but the body remains mostly paralyzed.

• Restorative Theory of Sleep: Theory that sleep allows the body and brain to repair and rejuvenate.

• REM Rebound: The increase in REM sleep after a period of REM sleep deprivation.

• Microsleeps: Brief, unintended episodes of sleep, lasting a few seconds, that occur during wakefulness.

• Insomnia: Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting restful sleep.

• Narcolepsy: A sleep disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable episodes of sleep during waking hours.

• REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A disorder where individuals physically act out dreams due to a lack of typical REM sleep paralysis.

• Night Terrors: Episodes of intense fear, flailing, and screaming during sleep, typically occurring in children and in deep sleep.

• Somnambulism (Sleepwalking): Engaging in complex behaviors like walking while in a sleep state.

• Sleep Apnea: A disorder characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep.

• Age-Related Sleep Patterns: Changes in sleep architecture and duration that occur with age.

• Psychoactive Drugs: Substances that alter mood, perception, and cognitive functions.

• Narcotics: Drugs derived from opium that relieve pain and may produce euphoria; often addictive.

• Sedatives: Drugs that depress the central nervous system and induce relaxation or sleep.

• Stimulants: Drugs that increase central nervous system activity, leading to greater alertness and energy.

• Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN): A part of the hypothalamus responsible for controlling circadian rhythms.

• Pineal Gland: A small gland in the brain that produces melatonin, influencing sleep patterns.

• Hallucinogens: Drugs that cause alterations in perception, thoughts, and feelings, often leading to hallucinations.

• Melatonin: A hormone produced by the pineal gland that regulates sleep-wake cycles.