Establishing the effects that sleep has on false memories formation is the main objective of this study. The study is significant due to the contribution that it makes in the field of psychology where, understanding how the human mind functions is paramount. Sleep is vital to any human being as it ensures optimal performance of the brain, which is the center of all human body functioning. The study has a clearly stated problem statement because …show more content…
Research suggests that sleep is vital in the process of consolidating memory and veridical information. This assertion is contrary to popular belief that sleep only affects specific memory formation. Research also indicates that it is possible for the process of memory consolidation to slowly induce the process of false memory development and that there is a significant correlation between hippocampal memory and neocortical memory in the sense that both of them facilitate memory storage, before undergoing consolidation. The process of consolidation in this case is only possible in cases when a person is experiencing deep and slow waved sleep. This study builds upon existing research by using a quasi-experimental design to assess how sleep or the lack of sleep influences the development of false memory. Specifically, the study addresses one research questions: whether sleep influences development of false …show more content…
Participants were divided into small groups ranging from an average of 29 to 43 participants; each participant was made to listen to a recording of eight Deese Roediger McDermott (DRM) words and are required to recall them later. All participants were informed that they were undergoing a memory test so they were required to listen to the wordlist keenly. Each group is assigned a specific task in all the three experiments. In the first experiment, one group of participants was required to listen to the word list in the morning and was to recall them in the evening. The second group was to listen to the wordlist and then required to recall the words 20 minutes afterwards. The second experiment took place in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Participants listened to the DRM wordlists after which they were wired ready for a PSG recording, which started once the lights were put when the person went to sleep. The third experiment required the participants to take the word test then one group was to take a nap of about 88 minutes then required to recall the words later, however the another group remained awake them and were kept busy with books until the test was