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.

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Psychology term of the day

December 21st 2024

voir dire

the process of questioning prospective jurors to determine if they hold biases that may reasonably interfere with their ability to act impartially in a particular trial (from Norman French, literally: “to speak the truth”). The questions may be asked in private or in open court and may be posed by the attorneys, the judge, or both. Jurors may be asked to stand down by a challenge for cause or a peremptory challenge.