Biological Rhythms: Circadian rhythms Flashcards
What are the biological rhythms?
They are patterns of change in body activity, following cyclical time periods
What are three different types of biological rhythms?
There are;
1. Circadian rhythms
2. Infradian rhythms
3. Ultradian rhythms
What are circadian rhythms?
Circadian rhythms are a type of biological rhythm that have a periodicity of 24hrs/one day
What is an example of a circadian rhythm? (humans)
An example of an circadian rhythm is the sleep/wake cycle or the body temnperature
What are infradian rhythms?
Infradian rhythms are a type of biological rhythm that have a periodicity of more than 24hrs/longer than a day
What are ultradian rhythms?
Ultradian rhythms are a type of biological rhythm that have a periodicity of less than a day/an event that occurs multiple times a day
What is an example of an infradian rhythm? (humans)
An example of an infradian rhythm is the menstrual cycle, seasonal affective disorder and hibernation in bears
What is an example of an ultradian rhythm?
An example of an ultradian rhythm is the repetition of 4-6 cycles of sleep (stages of sleep) during the night
What are biological rhythms dependent on?
Biological rhythms are dependent on endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers
What are endogenous pacemakers?
What are exogenous zeitgebers?
Exogenous zeitgebers - The external changes in the environment
Endogenous pacemakers - The body’s internal clock
Who was the psychologist that conducted research into circadian rhythms? What was the name of the study conducted?
The name of the psychologist was Siffre, he conducted “Siffre’s cave study”
Outline the study conducted by Siffre:
1. participant information
2. procedure information
3. findings
4. conclusion
Siffre spent 2 months underground in a cave. He had no access to light and sound, essentially no access to the exogenous zeitgebers. He found that his biological rhythms settled into just over the usual 24 hour cycle (25hrs) but he continued to fall asleep and wake up on a regular schedule.
Conclusion: This study shows endogenous pacemakers could have a stronger influence on our circadian rhythms. Despite the addition of the exogenous zeitgebers, Siffre still woke up at the same/similar times
What is a limitation of Siffre’s cave study? (extraneous variables)
Some psychologists may argue that there is a poor control of extraneous variables. Siffre still had access to artificial light - psychologists use this fact to argue we cannot be certain this light did not have an impact on Siffre’s circadian rhythm
What is a limitation of Gupta’s study into body temperature?
Circadian rhythms are important for how well we concentrate. Night shift workers experience a period of reduced concentration at around 6am. This means that employees could be made more aware of the likelihood of accidents and mistakes happening during this time
What is a limitation of Siffre’s cave study? (sample size)
Siffre’s cave study had a sample size, since he was the only participant involved in his study. As a result any data collected, would have been harder to make generalisations from. Additionally, Siffre was a 60 year old, his internal clock would have been arguable slower than when he was a young man. Therefore results would be harder to apply to different age groups
