Sleep And Dreaming

Question 1

Outline the role of the pineal gland in sleep.

Answer 1

the pineal gland makes melatonin , it releases melatonin at night when it gets
dark which makes us sleepy’

Question 2

Outline how neurological damage to the hypothalamus may have affected Kai’s sleep

Answer 2

the SCN is part of the hypothalamus , this means that melatonin will not
increase when it gets dark so Kai will have a lack of melatonin and will struggle to sleep’

Question 3

Describe two techniques that could be used to help Kai sleep.

Answer 3

‘Kai could use relaxation techniques to help them sleep [1], they could practice
deep breathing before they go to bed’ ‘Kai could also practice sleep hygiene .Kai should de-clutter their bedroom and remove anything to do with work so this does not distract
them’.

Question 4

Give one example of wish fulfilment from the source

Answer 4

‘wants to leave (their job/work)

Question 5

Describe one criticism of using the Freudian Theory of Dreaming to explain Amit’s dreams.

Answer 5

The Freudian Theory of Dreaming is subjective , Amit might have just
dreamed about fighting with friends but this is only Ling’s opinion.’

Question 6

Outline the role of the cerebral cortex in the Activation Synthesis Theory of Dreaming.

Answer 6

Just before and during REM, electrical signals pass through the brain which activates the
cerebral cortex [1]. The result of this is the higher brain tries to attach meaning to what is
happening [1] and it uses stored memories which leads to dreaming’ [1].

Question 7

Identify the method used by Williams et al. (1992) in their study into bizarreness in dreams
and fantasies.

Answer 7

D (Natural experiment and self-report).

Question 8

What was William et als sample

Answer 8

Two male and ten female American
students

Question 9

What was the relationship between dreams and fantasies in William et als experiment

Answer 9

An equal number of dreams and fantasies
were analysed

Question 10

Explain the role of light as an exogenous zeitgeber in Ali’s sleep cycle

Answer 10

Light is an external cue or exogenous zeitgeber that
regulates biological rhythms.[1] When Ali [1] is exposed
to light, the SCN in their brain sends signals to delay
the release of melatonin keeping them wide awake and
alert

Question 11

Freud believed the ……………………………………………………. contained desires, urges, and
thoughts that are unacceptable to the conscious mind

Answer 11

unconscious mind

Question 12

According to Freud, the actual content
of dreams including the images, thoughts and content contained in the dream is related to
the …………………………………………………….

Answer 12

latent content

Question 13

Freud believed that this served to disguise the
……………………………………………………. or the unconscious wishes of the dreamer

Answer 13

wish fulfilment

Question 14

Explain one benefit of sleep to Adeline

Answer 14

Sleep benefits us as it helps us to
physically repair [1] so Adeline needs slow wave sleep to heal her cells or damaged tissue

Question 15

Give one open question that Adeline could include in her questionnaire.

Answer 15

How do you organise your bedroom
before you go to bed to help you sleep

Question 16

Outline the role of melatonin in sleep. (2)

Answer 16

‘Melatonin is a natural hormone produced
by the pineal gland [1]. It helps with the onset of sleep as
part of the sleep – wake cycle [1]’.

Question 17

Outline the role of neuropsychology in the Activation Synthesis Theory of Dreaming

Answer 17

The theory is made up of two parts:
activation and synthesis. Activation refers to the
random firing of neurons from the brain stem [1]. The
signals come from the pons [1]. Synthesis refers to the
interpretation of these random signals into spontaneous
thoughts by the cerebral cortex [1]’.

Question 18

Evaluate the Activation Synthesis Theory of Dreaming

Answer 18

The theory is reductionist because dreams are very
complex and usually have meaning to the individual.
Other theories, such as Freud’s are much more holistic.
However, the theory is very objective and reliable as it
shows the different parts of the brain involved in
dreaming which can be measured’.

Question 19

Identify which part of the brain tries to give meaning to the electrical activity of the brain
during sleep,

Answer 19

cerebral cortex

Question 20

Explain how the Activation Synthesis Theory of Dreaming is criticised for being reductionist.

Answer 20

‘Reductionism refers to the idea that something can
be explained in simpler terms (1). The theory is too
reductionist as dreams are so complex that they cannot
just be attributed to the electrical signals in the brain (1).

Question 21

Give two functions of sleep

Answer 21

physical repair,
emotional stability,

Question 22

Name the type of interview used in the study

Answer 22

unstructured interview

Question 23

Identify the phrase that explains the manifest content of dreams.

Answer 23

what actually happened in dreams

Question 24

Identify the example of latent content in David’s dreams

Answer 24

‘His anxiety about letting out a secret’

Question 25

Write an open question that the psychologist could have used in her study

Answer 25

What did you dream about last night?

Question 26

Outline one strength of collecting qualitative data in this study.

Answer 26

It provides rich detailed data (1). This will be useful for
analysing possible links between dreams and prior
experiences (1).

Question 27

Describe two criticisms of the Williams et al. (1992) study into the bizarreness in dreams

Answer 27

the sample may not have been representative (1) as
only 12 participants were used (1)

the findings may lack construct validity (1) as dreams
and fantasies are too complex to be reduced down to
a rating (1)

Question 28

Although Pawel works long hours, he finds it difficult to get to sleep at night as he suffers from
sleep onset insomnia.
Using your knowledge of psychological research, outline ways in which Pawel could be helped to
get a better night’s sleep.

Answer 28

, Pawel could use relaxation techniques to
fall asleep (1) for example deep breathing and relaxing
his muscles (1). Sleep hygiene can also help him to fall
asleep (1), he should avoid consuming alcohol or
nicotine before sleeping (1)