Sensory Deprived - GCSE Psychology Definition

Reviewed by: Lucy Vinson

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Sensory deprived refers to a state in which a person is placed in an environment where they cannot use or receive sensory stimuli such as sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell. In psychology, this is often studied to understand how the absence of normal sensory experiences affect the brain and behaviour. For example, if someone is in a dark and quiet room for a long time, they might start to feel anxious or disoriented because their brain has less information to process. Sensory deprivation can be used in experiments to see how it impacts learning, memory, and overall mental health. It helps psychologists understand more about how the brain works and how important sensory input is for normal functioning.

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Lucy Vinson

Reviewer: Lucy Vinson

Expertise: Psychology Content Creator

Lucy has been a part of Save My Exams since 2024 and is responsible for all things Psychology & Social Science in her role as Subject Lead. Prior to this, Lucy taught for 5 years, including Computing (KS3), Geography (KS3 & GCSE) and Psychology A Level as a Subject Lead for 4 years. She loves teaching research methods and psychopathology. Outside of the classroom, she has provided pastoral support for hundreds of boarding students over a four year period as a boarding house tutor.

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