Print › Psych Chap 5 and 7

absolute threshold: the min. stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
accommodation: the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus on near or far objects on the retina
acuity: the sharpness of vision
alpha waves: the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed awake state
amphetamines: drugs that stimulate neural activity causing speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes
audition: the sense of hearing
barbiturates: drugs that depress the activity of the Central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement
biological rhythms: periodic physiological fluctuations
blind spot: point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye creating a blind spot
bottom-up processing: analysis that begins with the sense receptores and works up to the brain's integration of sensory info
circadian rhythm: the biological clock; regular bodily rhthms that occur on a 24 hour cycle
cochlea: a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses
color constancy: perceiving familar objects as having consistent color even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
conduction hearing loss: hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
cones: receptor cells that concentrated near center of retina funciton in well lit conditions; detect fine detail and color
consciousness: our awareness of ourselves and our environment
delta waves: the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
depressants: drughs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
difference threshold: the min. difference between two stimuli required for dection 50 % of the time
dissociation: a split in consciousness which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneoulsy with others
dream: a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind. Dreams are notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities and incongruities and for the dreamer's delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering it.
Dualism: the presumption that mind and body are two distinct entities that interact
ecstasy (MDMA): a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy but with short-term heath risks and longer term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition
farsightedness: a condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly than near objects because the image of near objects if focused behind the retina
feature detectors: inner cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus such as shape angle or movement
fovea: the central focal point in the retina around which the eye's cones cluster
frequency: the numer of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
frequency theory: in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequecy of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch
gate-control theory: the thoery that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass to the brain. The "gate" is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain
hallucinations: false sensory experiences such as seeing somethign in the absence of an external visual stimulus.
hallucinogens: distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in absense of sensory input.
hidden observer: Hilgard's term describing a hypnotized subject's awareness of experiences such as pain that go unreported during hypnosis
hue: dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light
hypnosis: a social interaction in which one person sugests that certain perceptions will spontaneously occur
inner ear: the innermostpart of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs
insomnia: recurring problems in falling or staying asleep.
intensity: amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we can percieve as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude
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
kinestheseis: the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
latent content: according to Freud the underlying meaning of a dream
lens: transparent structure behing the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
LSD: a powerful hallucinogenic drug; lysergic acid diethylamide
manifest content: according to freud, the remembered story line of a dream (as distinct from its latent content).
middle ear: the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup_ that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window
monism: the presumption that mind and body are different aspects of the same thing
narcolepsy: a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times
near-death experience: an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (often similar to drug-induced hallucinations)
nearsightedness: condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant obejects because distant objects focus in front of the retina
night terrors: a sleep disorder characterized by by high arousal and an apperance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during stage 4 sleep, within 2 or 3 hours of falling asleep and are seldom remembered.
opiates: opium and its derivavatives such as morophine and heroin; they depress neural activity temproarily lessening pain and anxiety
opponent process theory: the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision
optic nerve: nerve carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
parallel processing: the processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision.
perception: the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
physical dependence: a physiological need for a drug marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued
pitch: a tone's highness or lowness; depends on frequency
place theory: in hearing the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated
posthypnotic amnesia: supposed inability to recall what one experienced during hypnosis; induced by hypnotist;s suggestion
posthypnotic suggestion: a suggestion made during a hypnosis session to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used to help contorl undesired behaviors
psychoactive drug: a chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood.
psychological dependence: a psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions
psychophysics: the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity and our psychological experience of them
pupil: adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
REM rebound: tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation
REM sleep: rapid eye movement, a recurring sleep stage during vivid dreams commonly occur; paradoxical sleep because the muscles are relaxed but other body systems are actives
retina: the light sensitive inner surface of the eye containing the receptre rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
rods: retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray;
sensation: the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system recieve and represent stimulus energies from our environment
sensorineural hearing loss: hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves aka nerve deafness
sensory adaptation: diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
sensory interaction: the principle that one sense may influence another, as when teh smell of food influences its taste
signal detection theory: a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus "signal" amid background stimulation "noise"
sleep: periodic natural reversible loss of consciousness as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia or hibernation.
sleep apnea: a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and consequent momentary reawakenings.
stimulants: drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
subliminal: below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness
THC: the major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations
tolerance: the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect.
top-down procesing: information processing guided by higher level mental processes as when we construct perceptions drawing on our expereience and expectations
transduction: conversion of one form of energy into another
vestibular sense: the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance
wavelength: distance from peak of one light or sound wave to peak of next
Weber's law: the principle that to be perceived as different, 2 stimuli must differ by a constant min percentage
withdrawal: the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug
Yough-Helmholts trichromatic: the theory that the retina contains three differenlt color receptors, red, green and blue, which can combine to form different colors