The academic and scientific communities have been fascinated by how sleep deprivation is linked to the development of false memories. The members of these communities have conducted investigations to identify the association between the two issues. Steven Frenda and a team of other scientists are among the scholars that have conducted examinations to establish if there is a link between sleep deprivation and false memories. They carried out a study and shared their insights in an article . This article is the subject of this paper.
Summary
Research question
The question that Frenda and his colleagues set out to answer was whether sleep deprivation increases one’s susceptibility to forming false memories (Frenda et al., 2014). Their research question is grounded in the established fact that sleep deprivation limits cognitive function. The exact research question that Frenda and his team tackle is not explicitly provided in the paper. This question is implied in the general discussion. The question is interesting because it allows for a determination to be made on whether sleep deprivation has any effect on the development of false memories and cognitive function in general. The answer to this question (which Frenda and his team provide in their article) will allow individuals to lead healthier lives by having enough sleep.
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Introduction and methodology
Frenda and his colleagues do not begin their discussion by diving right into the procedure and the results of their study. Instead, they offer background information that allows readers to gain better insights into the issues that they explore. They begin by exploring the issues of false memories and sleep deprivation. They make it clear that there have been instances where individuals claim that they witnessed events that did not even occur (Frenda et al., 2014). They also cite other studies which have established that false memories are indeed common. Their review of literature also focuses on other experiments that have employed different techniques to investigate the factors that lead to the planting of false memories (Frenda et al., 2014). Frenda and his team also offer a discussion on sleep deprivation and some of its effects.
As already stated, the purpose of their study was to determine if sleep deprivation plays any role in the formation of false memories. Two experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, the subjects reported that they were sleep deprived the night before the experiment (Frenda et al., 2014). Frenda and his team then investigated the effect that the sleep deprivation had on the subjects’ recollection of a news event. The news event concerned a plane crash and the subjects were asked if they have watched the video of the crash. Frenda and his team make it clear that while it was true that the news of the plane crash was distributed widely, it was not captured on video (Frenda et al., 2014). The results of this experiment would allow the researchers to determine if the sleep deprivation had caused the subjects to form false memories. If the participants reported that they had watched the video, this would be evidence that the sleep deprivation had caused false memories to form. Otherwise, sleep deprivation had no impact. The first experiment also involved supplying the participants with misleading information (Frenda et al., 2014). If they incorporated the misleading information into their assessment of a situation that they had witnessed, it would mean that false memories had developed as a result of the sleep deprivation. In the second experiment, the researchers placed the subjects in two groups. Those in one group were allowed to sleep while those in the other were denied sleep. Both groups were subjected to a procedure where they were shown photos that were accompanied with true and misleading information (Frenda et al., 2014). The purpose of this experiment was to understand if there was any difference in the performance of the two groups. The design of the experiment is indeed wise as it provides the researchers with the opportunity to note any differences between the groups. If the sleep-deprived group fell for the misinformation, this would be indication that sleep deprivation leads to the formation of false memories.
Results
For the first experiment, the researchers found that those who had been deprived of sleep were more likely to report having watched the video of the plane crash (Frenda et al., 2014). The researchers add that they conducted a follow-up interview. In this interview, far fewer subjects insisted that they had watched the video (Frenda et al., 2014). In the second experiment, it was observed that the sleep-deprived group fell victim to misinformation. However, the link between misinformation and sleep deprivation was found to lack statistical significance. This can be taken to mean that some factors other than sleep deprivation could be responsible for the development of false memories. The results answered the research question by confirming that there is a link between sleep deprivation and the development of false memories.
Implication
The findings of the study allow one to arrive at conclusions. It can be concluded with confidence that sleep deprivation can cause false memories to form. These findings have broader implications. They mean that sleep deprivation hinders the optimal functioning of the human brain. The study also presents implications for various professional fields. For, example, the criminal justice profession can now understand that it is possible for individuals to form false memories. Witness testimonies should therefore be regarded with caution and combined with such other tools as DNA analysis. Healthcare professionals also have a basis for calling for action to promote sleeping as a healthy lifestyle practice.
Critique
Generally, I found the article to be insightful and interesting. I laud the researchers for their inspired experiment design. I think that how the experiment was designed allows for the research question to be answered. For example, in the first experiment, the researchers asked the subjects if they had watched a video that did not exist. This is interesting and it is rather surprising that so many subjects actually reported that they had watched the video. To ensure that sleep deprivation was responsible for this, the researchers carried out a follow-up interview after the subjects had had enough sleep. That fewer subjects insisted that they had watched the video during the interview is clear indication that sleep deprivation was to blame for the false memories.
Other studies have been conducted to determine the impact of sleep deprivation on false memories. One such study was carried out by June Lo and a team of scholars. They set out to determine if sleep deprivation causes false memories to form. They recruited subjects who were denied sleep and supplied with misleading information. It was observed that the perceptions of the sleep-deprived subjects were affected by sleep deprivation (Lo et al., 2016). The participants were subjected to varying periods of sleep deprivation. It was observed that those who were denied sleep for longer were most affected in their recollection of false events and information. The study by Lo and his colleagues confirm what Frenda and his team established in their article: there is a link between sleep deprivation and false memories. In conclusion, the fact that a link between false memories and sleep deprivation has been found is indeed eye-opening. It offers individuals and professionals with a solid basis for advocating for enough sleep. To avoid cognitive impairment and the formation of false memories, individuals should ensure that they have enough sleep. This will go a long way in ensuring that their cognitive functioning is not impaired and that their productivity is not compromised.
References
Frenda, S. J., Patihis, L., Loftus, E. F., Lewis, H. C. & Fenn, K. M. (2014). Sleep Deprivation
And False Memories. Psychological Science, 25 (9), 1674-1681.
Lo, J. Ganesan, S., Leong, R., Chee, M. W. (2016). Sleep Deprivation Increases Formation of
False Memory. Journal of Sleep Research, 25 (6), 673-682.
