REM sleep

rapid-eye-movement sleep: the stage of sleep, formerly called desynchronized sleep, in which most dreaming tends to occur during which electroencephalograms show activity that resembles wakefulness (hence, it is also known as paradoxical sleep) except for inhibition of most skeletal and cranial muscles. This stage has two phases—tonic and phasic—and it is largely during the phasic period that muscle twitches and bursts of rapid eye movements occur. REM sleep accounts for one quarter to one fifth of total sleep time. Compare NREM sleep.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

February 23rd 2025

dogmatism

1. the tendency to act in a blindly certain, assertive, and authoritative manner in accordance with a strongly held set of beliefs.

2. a personality trait characterized by this tendency. The belief system of such an individual is strongly held and resistant to change. Nevertheless, it often contains elements that are isolated from one another and thus may contradict one another. See Rokeach Dogmatism Scale. [first proposed by U.S. psychologist Milton Rokeach (1918–1988)] —dogmatic adj.