circadian rhythms AO3

Question 1

evaluation of research into circadian rhythms - individual differences (limitation)

Answer 1

• generalisations are difficult to make.
• siffre’s cave study is based on a very small sample of just himself. it seems that sleep/wake cycles may vary widely from person to person.
• research by duffy et al revealed that some people have a natural preference for going to bed early and rising early whereas others prefer the opposite.
• this means that it is difficult to use the research data to discuss anything more than averages, which may be meaningless.

Question 2

evaluation of research into circadian rhythms - medical treatment (strength)

Answer 2

• it has been used to improve medical treatments.
• circadian rhythms co-ordinate a number of the body’s basic processes such as heart rate and digestion. these rise and fall during the course of a day which has led to the field of chronotherapeutics - how medical treatment can be administered in a way that corresponds to a person’s biological rhythms.
• for example, aspirin as a treatment for heart attacks is most effective if taken last thing at night. heart attacks are most likely to occur early in the morning so the timing of taking aspirin matters.
• this shows that circadian rhythm research can help increase the effectiveness of drug treatments.

Question 3

evaluation of research into circadian rhythms - shift work (strength)

Answer 3

• it provides an understanding of the consequences that occur when they are disrupted.
• night workers engaged in shift work experience a period of reduced concentration around 6 in the morning meaning mistakes and accidents are more likely (boivin et al).
• this shows that research into the sleep/wake cycle may have real-world economic implications in terms of how best to manage worker productivity.