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Luce and Segal's Arctic Circle

I reeeeally dont get this study

our teacher told us that it should be used to show the role that exogenous zeitgebes and social factors play in the sleep/wake cycle.

But i can only see it as evidence for the SCN pacemaker side.

If theres light for 6 months and they still get sleep then surely the SCN is just over-riding the zeitgebers and telling them to sleep anyway

Its the same with the miles study...

Any help??? :s-smilie:

(coz i have an essay in for 2 hours time) :woo:
Reply 1
Avatar for Bluth.
Bluth.
16
Sorry, I never did this particular study. However, having just read up on it there is the argument that if the sleep wake cycle was purely governed by the SCN they would have a highly irregular sleep-wake pattern (no sleep for half a year, constant sleep for the other) so it is the exogenous zeitgebes (social factors such as regular meal times with others) that keep a fairly regular 7 hour sleep pattern.


http://www.psychology4a.com/biological_rhythms.htm There is information on here

I hope that made sense, its been a couple of months since I left school and my brain is already gone!

Edit: If you need it I could probably explain it better :P
Reply 2
Avatar for lil lime
lil lime
OP
ahhhh

thank youuuuuu!

I kinda get it now.

The pacemaker needs to be reset everyday, but as they dont have light cues to re set it they use social cues instead!

Thank you!
Reply 3
Avatar for Bluth.
Bluth.
16
lil lime
ahhhh

thank youuuuuu!

I kinda get it now.

The pacemaker needs to be reset everyday, but as they dont have light cues to re set it they use social cues instead!

Thank you!


Yes, the endogenous pacemakers would be free running without exogenous zietgebers such as light and social cues. The main exogenous zeitgeber would usually be light but in the arctic this would not be practical (humuns would have to hibernate for half a year!) so other zeitgebers such as social cues are used to entrain biological rhythms instead.
Reply 4
Avatar for lil lime
lil lime
OP
awesome!

thank you!

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