MCAT Psychology Sensation/Perception & Cognition Flashcards
The theory that dreams are simple byproducts of brain activation during REM sleep
Activation-synthesis theory
The inability to recognize objects through sensory mechanisms despite intact function of the underlying sense itself
Agnosia
Low amplitude, high frequency brain waves present in a relaxed state
Alpha waves
Model of selective attention in which the mind has an attenuator, like a volume knob, that tunes up attended inputs and tunes down unattended inputs, rather than eliminating them
Attenuation model of selective attention
The area of the temporal lobe responsible for processing sound information
Auditory cortex
Functions to ewualize middle ear pressure with atmospheric pressure so that pressure on both sides of the TM is equal
Auditory (Eustachian) Tube
Mental shortcut of making judgments on the frequency of something occurring based on how readily it is available in our memories
Availability heuristic
Membrane in the cochlea that supports the organ of Corti, which contains hearing receptors
Basilar membrane
A tendency to draw conclusions based on what one already believes rather than sound logic
Belief bias
The maintenance of beliefs even in the face of evidence to the contrary
Belief perseverance
Waking EEG waves seen during alert focus with oscillations between 12.5 Hz and 30 Hz
Beta waves
Sensory processing that begins with sensory receptors and works up to complex integration of information in the brain
Bottom-up processing
Region in the left hemisphere of the frontal lobe involved in language production
Broca’s area
Part of working memory that controls the visuospatial sketchpad, phonological loop, and episodic buffer
Central executive
The curled structure in the inner ear that contains the membranes and hair cells used to transduce sound waves into action potentials
Cochlea
Language dysfunction characterized by poor speech repetition despite intact comprehension and fluent speech
Conduction aphasia
Photoreceptors in the retina of the eye that respond to bright light and provide color vision
Cones
A tendency to search only for information that confirms a preconceived conclusion
Confirmation bias
Awareness of self; internal states, and the environment
Consciousness
The clear portion of the tough outer layer of the eyeball, found over the iris and the pupil
Cornea
The minimum noticeable difference between any two sensory stimuli 50% of the time
Difference threshold
Disorders that involve abnormalities in the amount, quality, or timing of sleep
Dyssomnias
Part of wokring memory that interacts with information in long-term memory
Episodic buffer
A theory of visual perception that proposes that certain neurons fire for specific features of a visual stimulus, such as shape, color, movements, etc.
Feature detection theory
Sensory receptors found in the inner ear that respond to vibrations in the cochlea caused by sound waves and changes in position and acceleration (used for balance)
Hair cells
Mental shortcuts used for problem-solving; sometimes sacrifices accuracy for speed
Heuristic
Models that use computers as an analogy for understanding cognitive processes such as attention, perception, and memory
Information-processing models