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Briefly describe the "day-wake" protocol that has been used in research on the effects of sleep on memory. What is one problem with this protocol that might affect the results of these studies?

User Bambam
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Final answer:

The 'day-wake' protocol in sleep research involves sleep deprivation to study memory effects, but results may be impacted by individual variability in participants' sleep requirements and tolerance to sleep loss.

Step-by-step explanation:

The "day-wake" protocol used in research on the effects of sleep on memory typically involves keeping participants awake for an extended period of time to study the impact of sleep deprivation on cognitive functions. During such a protocol, a variable is induced in the experimental group by limiting the amount of sleep they get, while outcomes such as memory and attention are measured and compared to a control group that is not sleep-deprived.

One possible issue with this protocol that might affect the results of sleep studies is the induced variability. This means when different participants have differences in how sleep deprivation affects them—due to factors like individual sleep needs or resilience to sleep loss—these individual differences can influence the outcomes and make it harder to pinpoint the effects of sleep deprivation alone on memory.

The day-wake protocol is a research method used to study the effects of sleep on memory. In this protocol, one group of participants is deprived of sleep for a certain period of time, while another group gets a normal amount of sleep. The difference in memory outcomes between the two groups is then examined.

Problem with the day-wake protocol:

One problem with this protocol is the induced variability in sleep among participants. Sleep deprivation affects individuals differently, and the induced variability in sleep can confound the results of the study. This variability makes it difficult to isolate the specific effects of sleep on memory.

User Paul Spaulding
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