Exam (elaborations)
Discuss research into circadian rhythms - 16/16
- Course
- Institution
- Book
This is a 16/16 marked A* essay for Biopsychology - Discuss research into circadian rhythms.
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
More summaries for
-
AQA A Level Psychology - Attachment revision notes (1)
-
A* Filter Theory essay
-
Discuss evolutionary explanations for partner preferences
Seller
Follow
shimsham
Reviews received
Content preview
Discuss research into circadian rhythms. Refer to evidence in your answer.[16 marks]
Biological rhythms are distinct patterns of changes in body activity that
conforms to cyclical time periods. Biological rhythms are influenced by
endogenous pacemakers, also known as internal body clocks as well as
exogenous pacemakers, which are external changes to the environment.
Circadian rhythm is a type of biological rhythm which is a 24- hour cycle
that regulates a number of body processes such as sleep/ wake cycle and
changes in the core body temperature.
Moreover, the ‘natural’ sleep/wake cycle may be slightly longer than 24
hours but that it is entrained by exogenous zeitgebers associated with our
24- hours day such as the number of daylight hours, typical meal times,
and family routines. We shouldn’t overestimate the influence of
environmental cues on our internal biological clock, and the existence of a
strong free-running circadian rhythm that cannot easily be overridden by
changes in the external environment. Lastly, we feel drowsy at night and
alert during the day, and this demonstrates the importance of daylight, an
important exogenous zeitgeber on our sleep/wake cycle.
The cave study conducted by Michael Siffre supports circadian rhythm.
Siffre spent two months in the caves of the southern Alps deprived of light
and sound, determining that his circadian rhythm remained between 24-25
hours. Further research support by Wever and Aschoff had a group of participants live in a
WWII bunker for four weeks and found that the sleep/wake cycle lasted just under 25hours
concluding that exogenous zeitgebers (light hours’/meal times) may have an impact
mediating the cycle. However other research by Folkard set participants sleep and wake
times that initially fit with a 24-hour day, but then unknown to the participants sped up the
clock so the cycle only lasted 22 hours. This had a significant impact on the participants who
were affected by the change from the set 24-25 hours. This therefore suggests that the
body’s internal clock is set 24-25 hours in the absence of external cues, and is intolerant of
any major alterations to sleep and wake cycles, through processes such as shift work and jet
lag.
To contradict, Siffre's study is a case study and therefore the limitation is that it can't
be generalisable. The Siffre study was only on one individual, and the Folkard, Wever and
Aschoff studies were conducted on only a handful of people, and therefore it is impossible
to generalise these results to whole populations of people, as there may be some individual
differences in the research sample that makes these participants respond the changes the
sleep/wake cycle in atypical ways. For example, Siffre noted that when he went into the
cave at 60yr his body responded very differently, with his body clock following more of a
48hr cycle. And Czeisler has found evidence that cycles can vary by as much as 13-65 hours.
This suggests that results cannot be generalised from these small samples onto everyone, as
factors such as age and gender may have significant impacts on our circadian rhythms.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller shimsham. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.84. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
77254 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now