Psychology Q10 – Circadian disorders | VCE Units 3 & 4 Practice – StudyPulse
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Psychology VCE Units 3 & 4 Practice Question 10 – Circadian disorders

Q10 Psychology Circadian disorders Unit 4 - AOS 1

Question 10

1 mark

A pharmaceutical company is testing a new drug designed to enhance the effectiveness of bright light therapy for individuals with Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS). Which of the following outcomes would BEST indicate that the drug is successfully augmenting the effects of bright light therapy?

Your Answer

A

Participants report feeling more tired during the day but are able to stay awake later into the night.

B

Participants show an earlier melatonin release onset in the evening, shifting their sleep-wake cycle to an earlier time.

C

Participants experience increased REM sleep latency and reduced total sleep time.

D

Participants report a greater preference for darkness and decreased sensitivity to bright light.

About This Psychology Question

This is a free VCE Units 3 & 4 Psychology practice question worth 1 mark, testing your understanding of Circadian disorders. It falls under How does sleep affect mental processes and behaviour? in Unit 4: How is mental wellbeing supported and maintained?. Submit your answer above to receive instant AI-powered marking and personalised feedback.

Subject
Psychology – Victorian Certificate of Education Units 3 & 4
Unit 4
How is mental wellbeing supported and maintained?
Area of Study 1
How does sleep affect mental processes and behaviour?
Key Knowledge
Circadian disorders

Unit 4 Overview

In this unit students explore the demand for sleep and the influences of sleep on mental wellbeing. They consider how changes to a person’s sleep-wake cycle can affect psychological functioning. Students explore the concept of mental wellbeing, including social and emotional wellbeing as a multidimensional and holistic framework. They apply a biopsychosocial approach to specific phobia, exploring how biological, psychological and social factors are involved in its development and management. A student-designed scientific investigation involving the generation of primary data related to mental processes and mental wellbeing is undertaken in either Unit 3 or Unit 4 or across both Units 3 and 4, and is assessed in Outcome 3 of this unit.

How does sleep affect mental processes and behaviour?

In this area of study students focus on sleep as a naturally occurring altered state of consciousness and the demands for sleep across the life span. They examine REM and NREM sleep, biological mechanisms of the sleep-wake cycle, and how partial or total sleep deprivation can affect psychological functioning. Students compare the effects of full sleep deprivation with blood alcohol concentration and explore circadian rhythm disorders. They consider ways to improve sleep hygiene and mental wellbeing.

Key Knowledge Detail

changes to a person’s sleep-wake cycle that cause circadian rhythm sleep disorders (Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome [DSPS], Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder [ASPD] and shift work) and the treatments of circadian rhythm sleep disorders through bright light therapy

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