Dement and Kleitman (1957) Flashcards

1
Q

Assumptions of the biological approach

A

Behaviour can be explained:
- the brain anatomy hormones
- genetics
- evolution

-similarities and differences understood in terms of biological factors

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2
Q

Assumptions

A
  • there is a correlation between brain activity and cognition
  • brain physiology can affect behaviour
  • biochemical (neurotransmitters/hormones) imbalances can affect behaviour
  • behaviour can be inherited (by genetic information)
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3
Q

Nature VS Nurture debate strengths and weaknesses

A

STRENGTHS:
- very scientific
- determinist approach
- successful applications

WEAKNESSES:
- theory is way too simple
- reductionist
- nature rather than nurture

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4
Q

Research methods used in biological approach

A
  • animal studies
  • case studies
  • twin/adoption/family studies
  • drug therapy
  • scans
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5
Q

What’s an MRI

A
  • an MRI scan uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of organs and tissues in the body, specifically of the brain to help diagnose aneurysms
  • non-invasive
  • structural
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6
Q

What’s an FMRI

A
  • an FMRI scan uses magnets and radio waves to detect and analyse the change in blood flow and how different parts of the brain is working
  • non-invasive
  • functional
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7
Q

PET

A
  • PET scan studies blood flow, oxygen use, and sugar metabolism, to analyse the function of tissues and organs in the body
  • non-invasive
  • functional
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8
Q

CAT

A
  • CAT scan uses a combination of x-rays and a computer to create cross-sectional pictures of organs, tissues, bones, etc
  • non-invasive
  • structural
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9
Q

Aim of Dement and Kleitman

A
  • does dreaming occur in REM or NREM
  • to accurate estimate the length of their dreams
  • if eye movement matches the dream content
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10
Q

EEG

A
  • potentials were amplified by a Model III Grass EEG in adjoining room
  • EEG was run continuously throughout sleep period at paper speed of 3 or 6 mm. per sec.
  • this allowed easy recognition of eye-movement potentials
  • faster speed (3 cm. per sec) used for detailed examination of brain waves although slower speed permitted at least approximate estimation of gross pattern
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11
Q

Controls used in the study

A
  • pp reported to lab little before his bedtime
  • he was instructed to eat normally but to abstain from alcoholic or caffeine-contained beverages on the day of the experiment
  • 2 or more electrodes attached near eyes for recording changes in corneoretinal potential fields as the eyes moved
  • 2 or 3 electrodes were fixed to scalp for recording brain waves as a criterion of depth sleep
  • pp went to bed in quiet, dark room
  • all electrode wires were further attached to top of head and then lead box at head of bed in single cord to minimize possibility of entanglement and allow pp free range of movement
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12
Q

Sample

A
  • 7 adult males
  • 2 adult females
  • 5 studied intensively (KC, IR, WD, PM, DN)
  • 4 studied minimally
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13
Q

Procedure

A
  • Day time: each participant ate normally excluding drinks containing alcohol/caffeine
  • arrived at laboratory before normal bed time and were fitted with electrical recording apparatus
  • electrodes attached near eyes (records eye movement) and on scalp (records brain waves)
  • in quiet, dark room, wires from electrodes were gathered into from pps head, to allow freedom of movement
  • EEG ran continuously through the night to monitor each pps head, to allow freedom of movement
  • pps woken up by doorbell that was loud enough to be woken up from any sleep stage
  • doorbell rung at various times through the night and pps indicated whether they had been dreaming prior to being woken and, if so, described dream into voice recorder
  • then they returned to sleep (within 5 mins)
  • when narrative was analysed, it was considered to be a dream only if it was a coherent, fairly detailed description of the content
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14
Q

Conclusions

A
  • dreams are more likely to occur in REM sleep
  • dreams appear to happen in ‘real time’
  • dream content appears to correspond to the direction in which the eyes move
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15
Q

Findings: Hypothesis 1

A
  • HIGH incidence of dream recall in REM
  • LOW incidence of dream recall in NREM
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16
Q

Findings: Hypothesis 2

A
  • Participants were awakened randomly after 5 or 15 mins of REM and asked to guess how long they had been dreaming
  • no. of words in narrative was measurement of length
  • 26 of 152 dreams recalled wee not included because of poor recording which didn’t allow complete transcription
17
Q

Findings: Hypothesis 3

A

Participants were woken when TYPE of eye movement was:
- regular
- vertical
- no movement
- mixed

  • periods of either pure or horizontal movements were extremely rare
  • 3 vertical movements
  • predominance of action in the vertical plane
18
Q

Dreams that pps had

A
  • pp dreamed of standing at the bottom of a tall cliff operating some sort of hoist and looking up at climbers at various levels and down at hoist machinery
  • pp dreamed of climbing up a series of ladders looking up and down as he climbed
  • dreamer was throwing basketballs at a net, first shooting and looking up at the net, and then looking down to pick another ball off the floor
19
Q

Finding: Hypothesis 3

A
  • 1 purely horizontal eye movement
  • predominance of action in horizontal plane
  • pp was watching 2 people throwing tomatoes at each other
20
Q

Findings: Hypothesis 3

A
  • 10 little or no eye movement
  • dreamer was watching something at a distance or just staring fixedly at some object
  • pp was driving a car and staring at the road ahead. He approached an intersection and was startled by the sudden appearance of car speeding at him from the left as the bell rang
  • other dream: dreamer was also driving a car and staring at the road ahead. Just before the awakening he saw a man standing on the left side of the road and hailed him as he drove past
21
Q

Findings: Hypothesis 3

A
  • 21 mixture of movements
  • pps were always looking at things close to them, objects or people
  • reports were of talking to a group of people, looking for something, fighting with someone, so forth.
  • no recall of distant/vertical activity
22
Q

Evaluation of biological approach

A

STRENGTHS:
- scientific
- application
- nature (from nature vs nurture debate)

WEAKNESSES:
- reductionist
- simplistic
- deterministic (don’t have control over other factors that cause a disorder)

23
Q

Evaluation: methodological strengths and weaknesses

A

METHODOLOGICAL - STRENGTHS:
- usefulness
- high reliability (standardized procedure)
- quantitative data
- qualitative data
- high internal validity
- high validity (controls)
- high in generalisability (psychological function)

WEAKNESSES:
- lack of standardized procedure in some parts
- varied schedule for waking up participants
- low ecological validity
- low generalisability (more men than women)

24
Q

Evaluation: ethical strengths and weaknesses

A

ETHICAL - STRENGTHS:
- consent
- confidentiality maintained (pps initials)

WEAKNESSES:
- invasion of privacy (pps had to write out their dreams and they weren’t given informed consent for it)