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A level Psychology Paper 2 > Biopsychology Booklet 4 - Biological Rhythms > Flashcards

Biopsychology Booklet 4 - Biological Rhythms Flashcards

1
Q

What is a biological rhythm?

A

A pattern of change in the body that occurs in cycles and repeats

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2
Q

What are the three types of biological rhythms?

A

Ultradian, Circadian and Infradian

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3
Q

How long do Infradian Rhythms last, what are some examples?

A

Infradian rhythms last longer than 24 hours, some examples are:
-Female menstrual cycle
-Hibernation (in animals)

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4
Q

How long do Ultradian rhythms last, what are some examples?

A

Ultradian rhythms are shorter than 24 hours, some examples are:
-Sleep cycle, this repeats every 90 minutes

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5
Q

How long do Circadian rhythms last, what are some examples?

A

Circadian rhythms are cycles that last approximately one day, examples are:
-Body temperature
-Sleep-wake cycle

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6
Q

What Infradian Rhythm example is recommended to use?

A

Menstrual cycle

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7
Q

What Circadian Rhythm example is recommended to use?

A

Sleep-wake cycle

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8
Q

What Ultradian Rhythm example is recommended to use?

A

Sleep cycle

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9
Q

How can the Infradian Rhythm menstrual cycle be described?

A

It is governed by monthly changes in hormone levels which regulate ovulation and usually takes about 28 days to complete. During each cycle, oestrogen causes the ovary to develop an egg and release it, after ovulation progresteron helps the womb lining grow thicker preparing body for pregnancy. If Woman not pregnant the lining sheds

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10
Q

How can the Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake cycle be described?

A

It dictates when humans should be asleep and awake, for most people this involves being awake during day and sleeping at night. Affected by both endogenous pacemakers and Exogenous Zeitgebers.

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11
Q

How can the Ultradian Rhythm sleep cycle be described?

A

Research shows we go through 5 stages of sleep that last about 90 minutes in total, cycle continues through the night and can be investigated through EEG

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12
Q

What are the influences of endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers on the menstrual cycle?

A

Research suggest they’re heavily influenced by exogenous zeitgebers

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13
Q

What was found in McClintock study?

A

29 women with irregular periods studied, samples of pheromones collected from 9 women at different times, pheromones rubbed on lip of other participants. 68% of women experienced changes to their cycle, made them closer to the cycle of their donor

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14
Q

What are stages 1 and 2 of the sleep cycle?

A

Light sleep - A person is easily woken, alpha waves at the beginning and brainwave patterns become slower and more rhythmic. As sleep becomes deeper become theta waves

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15
Q

What are stages 3 and 4 of the sleep cycle?

A

Deep sleep, involves delta waves which are slower still. This is slow wave sleep and difficult to wake someone up

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16
Q

What are stages 5 sleep?

A

REM sleep, when body is paralysed but brain activity speeds up to awake levels. Eyes move around under eyelids and correlated with dreaming

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17
Q

What are Endogenous Pacemakers?

A

The internal mechanisms that effect the body

18
Q

What are Exogenous Zeitgebers?

A

External cues that affect the body

19
Q

What is important to note about endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers?

A

They work together and interact with each other

20
Q

What are the effects of endogenous pacemakers on the sleep/wake cycle?

A

One endogenous pacemaker is the Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a small bundle of nerve cells in the hypothalamus in each hemisphere of the brain

21
Q

Where is the SCN found?

A

Just above the place where the optic nerves from each eye cross over

22
Q

What info does the SCN receive?

A

Info about light from area near the eyes

23
Q

What is the SCN affected by?

A

External cues such as light and dark but also internal activity rhythm that persists when isolated from the rest of the brain

24
Q

What is the SCN an example of?

A

How endogenous pacemakers (SCN) interact with exogenous zeitgebers (Light) to control circadian rhythms

25
Q

What does the SCN do with information it receives about light ?

A

Passes it on to the pineal gland, which is a pea like structure behind the hypothalamus

26
Q

What does the pineal gland do during the night?

A

Converts the neurotransmitter serotonin into melatonin

27
Q

What does melatonin do?

A

Makes us feel less alert and more sleepy

28
Q

What was the procedure in study DeCoursey et al (2000)

A

He destroyed the SCN connections in the brain of 30 chipmunks who were then returned to their natural habitat and observed for 80 days

29
Q

What were the findings of DeCoursey et al?

A

The sleep/wake cycle on the chipmunks disappeared and by the end of the study many had been killed

30
Q

What was concluded from DeCoursey et al?

A

Shows how important the SCN is in establishing circadian rhythms and that with absence of the endogenous pacemaker, exogenous zeitgebers are not enough to regulate body rhythms

31
Q

What are two exogenous zeitgebers that affect the sleep/wake cycle?

A

-Light
-Social Cues

32
Q

What is the most commonly accepted view on endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers?

A

EP interact with EZ to ensure we are synchronised with the outside world

33
Q

What is free running?

A

Circadian rhythms are capable of this, where without influence of external cues at all, the SCN will run to a rhythm of about 25 hours.

34
Q

What is the process of the internal biological clock being adjusted to external cues called?

A

Entrainment

35
Q

What was found in study Michael Siffre

A

He spent 6 months underground in a cave where he deprived himself of light and sound. Cut off from EZs. His sleep/wake cycle settled to around 25 hours.

36
Q

What was found in study Campbell and Murphy?

A

They applied light to the back of the knees of 15 participants, this resulted in a shit of the participants sleep/wake cycle of up to hours in some cases.

37
Q

What are the evaluations of circadian rhythms?

A

😁Research to support: Michael Siffre
😁Research to support: Campbell and Murphy
😁Practical Application: Shift Workers
😭Methodological issues
😭Individual differences

38
Q

What was discovered in the Dement and Kleitman study?

A

EEGs used to measure sleep patterns of 9 participants. Found that REM activity was highly correlated with dreaming. Showing that there must be different stages of sleep, as each stage has its own unique brain wave and these repeat every 90 minutes

39
Q

What are the evaluations of Ultradian and Infradian Rhythms?

A

😁Dement and Kleitman
😁Treatments for Insomnia
😭Yank and Schank
😭Methodological issues
😭Individual differences

40
Q

What was found in study Yank and Schank?

A

186 chinese women living in university halls over a year, no evidence of cycles becoming synced.

A level Psychology Paper 2 (24 decks)

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