The nature of sleep - the stages of sleep - Advantages and disadvantages table in A Level and IB Psychology

Created by: steph
Created on: 16-12-13 19:35


	The nature of sleep - the stages of sleep
	Advantages The most recent dream method of asking people to write down their last dream makes it possible to collect dream data from wide, representative samples in large quantities The most recent dream method has good ecological validity Lab studies enable representative samples Lab studies are well controlled Research has found htere are gender differences in the content of dreams and that sleeping patterns change with age	Disadvantages There are large individual differences Dream diaries rely on retrospective reporting - memory for dreams is poor Dream reports are open to investigator effects + demand characteristics Cannot be sure that dreams represent a true memory of dream events as they're subjective 'Plot' may be due to our imagination _filling in the gaps in order to form a coherent story When asked to make up dreams, people can do so convincingly (Cavallero et al 92) It is difficult to research the nature of REM sleep (REM + dreaming are not identical) Unrepresentative samples (Self selecting volunteers, often students) P's may pick dramatic or puzzling dreams P's may pick delibertly bland dreams which are not personally revealing Lab studies have poor ecological validity are time consuming and expensive Interpretation is difficult - P's vary in length and detail of dream diaries, women tend to write a lot more than men Although sleep complaints are twice as prevalent in women, 75% of research has been conducted on men
	Evaluation There are 5 stages of sleep: Stages 1,2,3,4+ REM (rapid eye movement)Further research needed in order to discover what the exact purpose of each stage of sleep is

The nature of sleep - the stages of sleep

Advantages

The most recent dream method of asking people to write down their last dream makes it possible to collect dream data from wide, representative samples in large quantities
The most recent dream method has good ecological validity
Lab studies enable representative samples
Lab studies are well controlled
Research has found htere are gender differences in the content of dreams and that sleeping patterns change with age

Disadvantages

There are large individual differences
Dream diaries rely on retrospective reporting - memory for dreams is poor
Dream reports are open to investigator effects + demand characteristics
Cannot be sure that dreams represent a true memory of dream events as they're subjective
'Plot' may be due to our imagination _filling in the gaps in order to form a coherent story
When asked to make up dreams, people can do so convincingly (Cavallero et al 92)
It is difficult to research the nature of REM sleep (REM + dreaming are not identical)
Unrepresentative samples (Self selecting volunteers, often students)
P's may pick dramatic or puzzling dreams
P's may pick delibertly bland dreams which are not personally revealing
Lab studies have poor ecological validity are time consuming and expensive
Interpretation is difficult - P's vary in length and detail of dream diaries, women tend to write a lot more than men
Although sleep complaints are twice as prevalent in women, 75% of research has been conducted on men

Evaluation

There are 5 stages of sleep: Stages 1,2,3,4+ REM (rapid eye movement)Further research needed in order to discover what the exact purpose of each stage of sleep is

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The nature of sleep - the stages of sleep