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Psychology 2
Exam #2
| Definition | Term |
|---|---|
| the process by which we receive, transform and process stimuli from the outside world to create sensory experiences of vision, touch, taste, hearing, taste, smell, etc | sensation |
| the study of the relationship between features of physical stimuli, such as the intensity of light and sound and the sensation we experience in response to these stimuli | psychophysics |
| German scientist that is credited with starting the scientific approach in psychology | Gustav Theodor Fechner |
| smallest amount of a given stimulus a person can sense | absolute threshold |
| the minimal difference in the magnitude of energy needed for people to detect a difference between two stimuli | DIFFERENCE THRESHOLD |
| specialized cells that detect sensory stimuli and convert them into neural impulses | sensory receptors |
| the principle that the amount of change in a stimulus needed to detect a difference is given by a constant ratio or fraction of the original stimulus | Weber's Law |
| the process by which sensory receptors adapt to constant stimuli be becoming less sensitive to them | sensory adaption |
| the black opening inside the iris that allows light to enter the eye | pupil |
| a transparent covering on the eye's surface through which light enters | cornea |
| the process by which the lens changes it's shape to focus images more clearly on the retina | accommodation |
| the pigmented, circular muscle in the eye that regulates the size of the pupil to adjust to changes in the level of illumination | iris |
| the structure in the eye that focuses light rays on the retina | lens |
| photo receptors that are sensitive only to the intensity of light | rods |
| photo receptors that are sensitive to color | cones |
| theory of color vision that posits that the ability to see different colors depends on the relative activity of three types of color receptors in the eye | Trichromatic Theory |
| three types of color receptors in the eye | red, green, blue-violet |
| Blue-violet cones are most sensitive to _______ wavelengths | short |
| green cones are most sensitive to _____ wavelengths | middle |
| red cones are most sensitive to ______ wavelengths | long |
| 2 chemical senses | smell and taste |
| nerves that carry impulses from olfactory receptors in the nose to the brain | olfactory nerves |
| 4 basic tastes | sweet, sour, salty and bitter |
| the sense that keeps us informed about balance and the position of our body in space | vestibular sense |
| Where are pain receptors located? | skin, muscles, joints, ligaments, pulp of teeth, where nerve endings are densely packed (fingers and face) |
| receptors at deeper levels beneath the skin fire in response to _______ | pressure |
| the process by which the brain integrates, organizes and interprets sensory impressions to create representations of the world | perception |
| _____ is the first step in perceiving something | attention |
| Many factors affect our attention to particular stimuli including _________ | |
| objects that are near each other will be perceived as belonging to a common set | proximity |
| objects that are similar will be perceived as belonging to the same group | similarity |
| a series of stimuli will be perceived as representing a unified form | continuity |
| people tend to piece together disconnected bits of info to perceive whole forms | closure |
| objects positioned together or moving together will be perceived as belonging to the same group | connectedness |
| tendency to perceive an object as having that same shape despite differences in the images it casts on the retina as the viewer's perspective changes | shape constancy |
| tendency to perceive an object as having the same size despite changes in the images it casts on the retina as the viewing distance changes | size constancy |
| tendency to perceive an object as having the same color despite changes in lighting conditions | color constancy |
| tendency to perceive objects as retaining their brightness even when they are viewed in dim light | brightness constancy |
| cues for depth that involve both eyes, such as retinal disparity and convergence | binocular cues |
| How did William James describe consciousness? | continuous process of thinking in which one thought flows into another like a stream of thoughts |
| Today how do psychologists view consciousness? | a state of awareness of ourselves and of the world around us |
| a state of heightened alertness in which one is fully absorbed in the task at hand | focused awareness |
| a state of awareness characterized by drifting thoughts or mental imagery | drifting consciousness (daydreaming) |
| a state of awareness characterized by divided attention to two or more tasks or activities performed at the same time | divided conciousness |
| the pattern of fluctuations in bodily processes that occur regularly each day | circadian rhythm |
| In which stage of sleep do people spend most of their sleep time? | stage 2 |
| How often do sleep cycles repeat? | every 90 minutes |
| How many sleep cycles does a person have in a night? | 4-5 |
| the proposition that dreams represent the brain's attempt to make sense of the random discharges of electrical activity that occur during REM sleep | activation-synthesis hypothesis |
| What is the purpose of dreams? | dreams contain symbols that represent the sleeper's underlying wishes |
| Why do people really dream? | remains a mystery |
| difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or returning to sleep after nighttime awakenings | chronic insomnia (1/10 US adults affected) (most common) |
| a disorder characterized by sudden unexplained "sleep attacks" during the day | narcolepsy (150,000 Americans affected) |
| temporary cessation of breathing during sleep | sleep apnea |
| a sound or phrase chanted repeatedly during transcendental meditation | mantra |
| The characteristics of hypnosis | focused attention, deep relaxation, heightened susceptibility to suggestion, altered state of consciousness |
| Describe a "distortion of reality" hypnotic experience | Positive and negative hallucinations |
| What percent of adult Americans have admitted to using illicit drugs? | 50% |
| a severe drug-related problem characterized by impaired control over the use of a drug | drug dependence |
| drugs that dampen central nervous system activity (alcohol and barbiturates) | depressants |
| heavy drinking often has its most damaging effect on which organ of the body? | liver |
| opiates are similar in chemical structure to ______ ans lock into the same receptor sites in the brain | endorphins |
| alcohol is depressant, caffeine is a _____ | stimulants |
| the most potent form of marijuana; derived from resin of the plant contains highest THC concentration | hash |
| drugs such as cocaine increase the levels of which neurotransmitter in the brain? | dopamine |
| a process of clearing drugs or toxins from the body | detoxification |
| seeing, hearing or feeling something not present in reality | positive hallucination |
| not perceiving something that truly exists | negative hallucination |
Created by:
mcarraher16
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