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
A pigmented membrane found just in front of the lens of the eye. The __ regulates the diameter of the pupil in response to the brightness of light
Iris
Large and slow wave with a duration of half second that occurs during Stage 2 sleep
K-complex
Innate feature unique to humans that allows mastery of language from limited exposure during childhood
Language Acquisition device
Asserts that the language one speaks determines their thoughts and perceptions of the world
Linguistic relativity hypothesis
A tendency to fixate on ideas and solutions that have worked in the past, even if they may not apply to the current situation
Mental set
Occurs during Stage 3 when an individual appears terrified and may sit up or walk around
Night Terror
The understanding that an object continues to exist once they are out of sight
Object permanence
The structure in the cochlea of the inner ear made up of the basilar membrane, the auditory hair cells, and the tectorial membrane
Organ of Corti
The portion of the ear consisting of the pinna and the external auditory canal
Outer ear
The membrane that separates the middle ear from the inner ear
Oval window
An overestimation of the accuracy of one’s knowledge and judgments
Overconfidence
A system whereby many aspects of a stimulus are processed simultaneously instead of in a step-by-step or serial fashion
Parallel processing
Abnormal behaviros during sleep, including somnambulism and night terrors
Parasomnia
Part of the working memory that allows for repetition of verbal information to aid with encoding
Phonological loop
Region of the brain responsible for the production of melatonin, a hormone that influences sleep/wake cycles and seasonal functions
Pineal gland
A receptor that responds to changes in the body position, such as stretch on a tendon, or contraction of a muscle
Proprioceptor
A hole in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the eyeball
Pupil
Bursts of quick eye movements present in the last stage of sleep
Rapid eye movement (REM)
Final stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movement and Beta waves, which are seen in individuals when they are awake
REM stage
A mental shortcut in which one judges the likelihood of things based on typical mental representations or examples of those things
Representativeness heuristic
States that if multiple tasks exceed the limit of attention, they cannot be done simultaneously
Resource model of attention
Structures in the brainstem that are important for alertness and arousal (as in wakefulness)
Reticular Formation, also known as the Reticular Activating System
The innermost layer of the eyeball. The__ is made up of photoreceptors, bipolar cells, and a layer of ganglion cells
Retina
Photoreceptors in the retina that respond to dim light and provide black and white vision
Rods
Mental frameworks or blueprints that shape and are shaped by experience
Schemas
The white portion of the tough outer layer of the eyeball
Sclera
The process by which one input is selected out of the field of environmental stimuli
Selective attention
Predisposition to observe something because it has previously been encountered frequently
Selective priming
Three loop-like structures in the inner ear that contain sensory receptors to monitor balance
Semicircular canals
A theory that attempts to predict how and when someone will detect the presence of a given sensory stimulust amidst all of the other sensory stimuli in the background
Signal detection theory
Sleepwalking
Somnablusim
Model for visual attention, with a spotlight representing one’s attention and its ability to move focus onto different targets
Spotlight model
A receptor that responds to changes in temperature
Thermoreceptor
Waves of low to moderate intensity and intermediate frequency present during stage 1 of sleep
Theta waves
A type of information processing that occurs when the brain applies experience and expectations to interpret sensory information
Top-down processing
The membrane that separates the outer ear from the middle ear. The __ is also known as the eardrum
Tympanic membrane
The area of the occipital lobe responsible for processing visual information
Visual cortex
Allows for the repetition of visuospatial information (images) to aid with encoding it into memory
Visuospatial sketchpad
This law pertains to sensory perception and dictates that two stimuli must differ by a constant proportion in order for their differences to be perceptible
Weber’s Law
The area of the brain, located in the posterior section of the temporal lobe, that is involved with the comprehension of speech and written language
Wernicke’s Area
Short-term memory for information in immediate awareness, consisting of four components: a central executive, a phonological loop, a visuospatial sketchpad, and an episodic buffer
Working memory
