sleep and dreams: cognitive process

Question 1

the cognitive process

Answer 1

focuses on sleep and dreaming’s interactions with learning and memory

Question 2

sleep to facilitate information processing

Answer 2

this process states that the purpose of sleep is about increasing your consolidation of memory, processing new information and remaining alert enough to learn efficiently

Question 3

animal and human studies

Answer 3

suggest that the quantity and quality of sleep have a profound impact on learning and memory

Question 4

memory consolidation

Answer 4

research suggests that memory consolidation takes place during sleep through the strengthening of the neural connections that form our memories, memory consolidation is time-consuming and energy intensive for the brain, so sleep is believed to be the ideal time to reinforce memory

Question 5

the benefits for sleep for memory consolidation

Answer 5

wagner et al (2004) shows challenging maths problems are easier understood after sleeping, mazza et al (2016) found that splitting study sessions over two days with a nights sleep in between reduced practice time needed by half

Question 6

stages of sleep to help consolidate different types of memory

Answer 6

research suggests REM sleep is useful for consolidating memories only if they are complex and emotionally charged. one reason for this may be due to the increased activation of the amygdala during REM sleep (which is responsible for regulating our emotions)

Question 7

tucker et al (2006)

Answer 7

found that subjects that took a nap (consisting of only NREM sleep) improved more on a declarative memory task than subjects that stayed awake

Question 8

crick and mitchison’s reorganizational theory

Answer 8

we dream in order to forget, they argued that the main function of sleep and dreams in reorganisation, in order to improve memory storage

Question 9

reverse learning

Answer 9

memories can be unravelled and destroyed during REM sleep, unwanted memories are deleted in order to improve organisation and make space (cognitive reorganisation)

Question 10

two types of memories

Answer 10

crick and mitchison believed that there were two main categories of memory: adaptive memories which will be useful to retain, such as new skills or relevant information
parasitic memories are useless memories that waste resources

Question 11

parasitic memories and REM

Answer 11

according to this theory, REM sleep prevents parasitic memories from forming or destroys those which have already formed, during REM, the brains major connections to the outside world are switched off, the brain stem (medulla) then sends random but powerful stimuli to the cortex (explaining the particular EEG activity associated with REM), these random stimuli gradually weaken neural connections in the brain, essentially cutting off memories from one another

Question 12

crick and mitchison- dreaming

Answer 12

they suggest that as parasitic memories are being unravelled, a random selection of thoughts and memories form themselves into a dream, unlearning might also explain why it is difficult to remember dreams- we are supposed to forget them!

Question 13

cognitive process key study

Answer 13

czeisler et al (1990)

Question 14

strengths of the cognitive process

Answer 14

there is a lot of evidence to support the cognitive process explanation of the function of sleep and is therefore reliable. the methods used in studies that support the cognitive process are rigorous which makes the process more valid. the cognitive process gives insight to ways to help treat sleep disorders and has real world applications

Question 15

evidence of crick and mitchinson

Answer 15

two mammals, the dolphin and echidna, who cannot REM sleep. they have an abnormally large cortex presumably because they cannot unlearn through REM and must store everything they have ever seen and heard

Question 16

weaknesses of the cognitive process

Answer 16

it fails to take into account other explanations of sleep e.g. evidence of the biological process so is reductionist. research is mainly lab experiments so can’t be used to explain real world behaviour as it lacks ecological validity

Question 17

what is the purpose of sleep

Answer 17

to facilitate information processing

Question 18

procedural memory

Answer 18

allows us to do tasks without thinking e.g. riding a bike or tying a shoe

Question 19

declarative memory

Answer 19

consists of facts and events that can be consciously recalled e.g. the name of your first pet or your P3 teacher

Question 20

karni et al (1994)

Answer 20

trained participants in a perceptual speed task, the response times did not improve with practice but were performed faster after sleeping but only in REM

Question 21

REM and procedural memory

Answer 21

research suggests REM consolidates procedural memory as infants spend a lot of time in REM

Question 22

mental illnesses

Answer 22

researchers argue that mental illnesses could be defined in terms of “faulty unlearning” e.g. depression resulting from the brain becoming overwhelmed with disordered memories

Question 23

strengths of crick and mitchinson

Answer 23

a good explanation as to why we often can’t recall our dreams, it gives a clear theory about why REM sleep might be important, there is some research to support it

Question 24

weaknesses of crick and mitchinson

Answer 24

there is more evidence to support sleep strengthening memories rather than weakening them, the evidence is based on animals which is not representative of the human population

Question 25

the fact that infants spend a lot of time in REM sleep

Answer 25

is evidence for it’s importance in the development and consolidation of procedural memories

Question 26

schemas

Answer 26

cognitive frameworks that help us organise and interpret information

Question 27

schemas allow us to

Answer 27

organise, store, and retrieve information efficiently within our minds