psychology test 2

Antagonists

are a substance which blocks the action of an agonist.

suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN):

area of the hypothalamus in which the body's biological clock is located

consciousness:

awareness of internal and external stimuli

concept:

category or grouping of linguistic information, objects, ideas, or life experiences

artificial concept:

concept that is defined by a very specific set of characteristics

just noticeable difference:

difference in stimuli required to detect a difference between the stimuli

evolutionary psychology:

discipline that studies how universal patterns of behavior and cognitive processes have evolved over time as a result of natural selection

depressant:

drug that tends to suppress central nervous system activity

stage 1 sleep:

first stage of sleep; transitional phase that occurs between wakefulness and sleep; the period during which a person drifts off to sleep

latent content:

hidden meaning of a dream, per Sigmund Freud's view of the function of dreams

melatonin:

hormone secreted by the endocrine gland that serves as an important regulator of the sleep-wake cycle

The ________ play a role in controlling slow-wave sleep.

hypothalamus and thalamus

chronotype:

individual differences in circadian patterns of activity indicating a propensity to sleep at a certain time

sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS):

infant (one year old or younger) with no apparent medical condition suddenly dies during sleep

absolute threshold:

minimum amount of stimulus energy that must be present for the stimulus to be detected 50% of the time

hallucinogen:

one of a class of drugs that results in profound alterations in sensory and perceptual experiences, often with vivid hallucinations

parasomnia:

one of a group of sleep disorders characterized by unwanted, disruptive motor activity and/or experiences during sleep

codeine:

opiate with relatively low potency often prescribed for minor pain

cognitive-behavioral therapy:

psychotherapy that focuses on cognitive processes and problem behaviors that is sometimes used to treat sleep disorders such as insomnia

sleep spindle:

rapid burst of high frequency brain waves during stage 2 sleep that may be important for learning and memory

restless leg syndrome:

sleep disorder in which the sufferer has uncomfortable sensations in the legs when trying to fall asleep that are relieved by moving the legs

central sleep apnea:

sleep disorder with periods of interrupted breathing due to a disruption in signals sent from the brain that regulate breathing

sleep rebound:

sleep-deprived individuals will experience longer sleep latencies during subsequent opportunities for sleep

________ appears to be especially important for enhanced performance on recently learned tasks.

slow-wave sleep

fovea:

small indentation in the retina that contains cones

sleep:

state marked by relatively low levels of physical activity and reduced sensory awareness that is distinct from periods of rest that occur during wakefulness

hypnosis:

state of extreme self-focus and attention in which minimal attention is given to external stimuli

tolerance:

state of requiring increasing quantities of the drug to gain the desired effect

activation-synthesis theory:

states that dreams don't actually mean anything. Instead, dreams are merely electrical brain impulses that pull random thoughts and imagery from our memories.

manifest content:

storyline of events that occur during a dream, per Sigmund Freud's view of the function of dreams

meta-analysis:

study that combines the results of several related studies

reuptake

the absorption by a presynaptic nerve ending of a neurotransmitter that it has secreted.

priming:

the process by which recent experiences increase a trait's accessibility.

sensory adaptation:

the reduction in sensitivity after prolonged exposure to a stimulus

mere-exposure effects:

the result of developing a more positive attitude towards a stimulus after repeated instances of mere exposure to it.

collective unconscious:

theoretical repository of information shared by all people across cultures, as described by Carl Jung

cognition:

thinking, including perception, learning, problem solving, judgment, and memory

perception

way that sensory information is interpreted and consciously experienced

sensation:

what happens when sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor

rotating shift work:

work schedule that changes from early to late on a daily or weekly basis

opiate/opioid:

one of a category of drugs that has strong analgesic properties; opiates are produced from the resin of the opium poppy; includes heroin, morphine, methadone, and codeine

lucid dream:

people become aware that they are dreaming and can control the dream's content

rapid eye movement (REM) sleep:

period of sleep characterized by brain waves very similar to those during wakefulness and by darting movements of the eyes under closed eyelids

non-REM (NREM):

period of sleep outside periods of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

blind spot:

point where we cannot respond to visual information in that portion of the visual field

continual-activation theory:

proposes that dreaming is a result of brain activation and synthesis; its assumption is that, during REM sleep, the unconscious part of the brain is busy processing procedural memory

sleep debt:

result of insufficient sleep on a chronic basis

stage 2 sleep:

second stage of sleep; the body goes into deep relaxation; characterized by the appearance of sleep spindles. Sleep spindles and K-complexes are most often associated with stage 2 sleep.

sleep apnea:

sleep disorder defined by episodes during which breathing stops during sleep

obstructive sleep apnea:

sleep disorder defined by episodes when breathing stops during sleep as a result of blockage of the airway

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD):

sleep disorder in which the muscle paralysis associated with the REM sleep phase does not occur; sleepers have high levels of physical activity during REM sleep, especially during disturbing dreams

night terror:

sleep disorder in which the sleeper experiences a sense of panic and may scream or attempt to escape from the immediate environment

narcolepsy:

sleep disorder in which the sufferer cannot resist falling to sleep at inopportune times

cone:

specialized photoreceptor that works best in bright light conditions and detects color

threat-simulation theory:

suggests that dreaming should be seen as an ancient biological defense mechanism that provides an evolutionary advantage because of its capacity to repeatedly simulate potential threatening events, thus enhancing the mechanisms required for efficient threat avoidance. Contribute!

bottom-up processing:

system in which perceptions are built from sensory input

homeostasis:

tendency to maintain a balance, or optimal level, within a biological system

stage 3 sleep:

third stage of sleep; deep sleep characterized by low frequency, high amplitude delta waves

cornea:

transparent covering over the eye

methamphetamine:

type of amphetamine that can be made from pseudoephedrine, an over-the-counter drug; widely manufactured and abused

delta wave:

type of low frequency, high amplitude brain wave characteristic of stage 3 and stage 4 sleep

theta wave:

type of low frequency, low amplitude brain wave characteristic of the end of stage 1 sleep

alpha wave:

type of relatively low frequency, relatively high amplitude brain wave that becomes synchronized; characteristic of the beginning of stage 1 sleep

methadone clinic:

uses methadone to treat withdrawal symptoms in opiate users

withdrawal:

variety of negative symptoms experienced when drug use is discontinued

K-complex:

very high amplitude pattern of brain activity associated with stage 2 sleep that may occur in response to environmental stimuli

________ is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland that plays a role in regulating biological rhythms and immune function.

Melatonin

electromagnetic spectrum:

all the electromagnetic radiation that occurs in our environment

Agonists

are a substance which initiates a physiological response to a receptor.

circadian rhythm:

biological rhythm that occurs over approximately 24 hours

sleep regulation:

brain's control of switching between sleep and wakefulness as well as coordinating this cycle with the outside world

signal detection theory:

change in stimulus detection as a function of current mental state

physical dependence:

changes in normal bodily functions that cause a drug user to experience withdrawal symptoms upon cessation of use

wakefulness:

characterized by high levels of sensory awareness, thought, and behavior

psychoactive drugs

chemical substances that alters brain functioning, causing changes to consciousness, perception, mood, and thoughts

meditation:

clearing the mind in order to achieve a state of relaxed awareness and focus

jet lag:

collection of symptoms brought on by travel from one time zone to another that results from the mismatch between our internal circadian cycles and our environment

insomnia:

consistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep for at least three nights a week over a month's time

transduction:

conversion from sensory stimulus energy to action potential

hertz (Hz):

cycles per second; measure of frequency

continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP):

device used to treat sleep apnea; includes a mask that fits over the sleeper's nose and mouth, which is connected to a pump that pumps air into the person's airways, forcing them to remain open

stimulant:

drug that tends to increase overall levels of neural activity; includes caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, and cocaine

psychological dependence:

emotional, rather than a physical, need for a drug which may be used to relieve psychological distress

pineal gland:

endocrine structure located inside the brain that releases melatonin which regulates the biological rhythms.

inattentional blindness:

failure to notice something that is completely visible because of a lack of attention

euphoric high:

feelings of intense elation and pleasure from drug use

cognitive psychology:

field of psychology dedicated to studying every aspect of how people think

biological clock:

innate timing device controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, located in the hypothalamus. Light-dark exposure can help reset biological clocks.

biological rhythm:

internal cycle of biological activity

top-down processing:

interpretation of sensations is influenced by available knowledge, experiences, and thoughts

inhibitor

is a substance which slows down or prevents a particular chemical reaction.

latent content

is the symbolic/hidden meaning of a dream.

cataplexy:

lack of muscle tone or muscle weakness, and in some cases complete paralysis of the voluntary muscles

do you need less or more sleep as we age?

less

subliminal message:

message presented below the threshold of conscious awareness

sleepwalking:

(also, somnambulism) sleep disorder in which the sleeper engages in relatively complex behaviors

Weber's law:

Ernst Weber's discovery that the difference threshold is a constant fraction of the original stimulus and bigger stimuli require larger differences to be noticed

Which part of the brain plays a critical role in regulating homeostasis?

The hypothalamus regulates many motives including thirst, hunger, and sex drive.

Müller-Lyer illusion

The lines appear to be different lengths, but they are actually the same length.

Which is the best explanation of how blindsight can happen?

Visual information from the eye is being processed unconsciously, so people with blindsight don't know that they what they are visually processing. (Secondary pathways in the vision system mean that some blind people may process "vision" unconsciously.)