🧠AP Psychology
🧠AP Psychology
FRQ 1 – Article Analysis Question (AAQ)
Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior
FRQ 1 – Article Analysis Question (AAQ)
Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior
Practice FRQ 1 of 211/21
Using the source provided, respond to all parts of the question.
1. Your response to the question should be provided in six parts: A, B, C, D, E, and F. Write the response to each part of the question in complete sentences. Use appropriate psychological terminology in your response.
A. Identify the research method used in the study.
B. State the operational definition of REM sleep percentage in the study.
C. Describe what the mean indicates for the percentage of REM sleep between the Child Group and the Adult Group.
D. Identify at least one ethical guideline applied by the researchers.
E. Explain the extent to which the research findings may or may not be generalizable using specific and relevant evidence from the study.
F. Explain how the research findings regarding REM sleep percentages support or refute the concept of neural plasticity.
This survey study investigated how the proportion of sleep time spent in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep varies across different developmental stages of life. Understanding these age-related patterns may provide important insights into neural plasticity, as REM sleep has been theorized to play a critical role in brain development and synaptic reorganization throughout the lifespan.
- Total N: 300
- Recruitment: Participants were recruited through community health centers, schools, and workplace wellness programs across a large metropolitan area. Recruitment flyers and email announcements invited healthy volunteers to complete a survey about their sleep patterns. The overall response rate was 68% of those initially contacted.
- Gender: 51.3% female, 47.0% male, 1.7% non-binary or other gender identity
- Race/Ethnicity: 58.0% White, 18.7% Black or African American, 14.0% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% Asian, 3.0% multiracial or other¹
- Age Range: 8-50 years
- Age Mean: 24.6
- Age SD: 13.2
- Compensation: Adult participants received a $15 gift card; child and adolescent participants received a $10 gift card and a small prize
- Sleep Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), a 42-item self-report instrument
- Demographic Information Form
- Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) adapted items
- Sleep diary log template for 7-day retrospective reporting
- Secure online survey platform (Qualtrics)
- Potential participants were identified through partner organizations and received recruitment materials explaining the study purpose and voluntary nature of participation.
- Interested individuals (or their parents/guardians for minors) contacted the research team and were screened for eligibility, which required no diagnosed sleep disorders and general good health.
- For participants under 18 years of age, researchers obtained written parental consent before any data collection; participants aged 8-17 also provided written assent.
- Adult participants (18+) provided informed consent electronically before accessing the survey.
- Participants completed the online Sleep Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), which took approximately 25-35 minutes and included Likert-scale items (1-5 scale), multiple-choice questions about sleep habits, and open-ended questions about sleep quality.
- The SPAQ asked participants to estimate their typical sleep patterns over the past month, including total hours of sleep, time to fall asleep, number of awakenings, and perceived percentage of sleep spent in different sleep stages including REM sleep.
- For child participants, a parent or guardian assisted with survey completion to ensure comprehension of questions, though children provided their own responses.
- All responses were collected anonymously through the secure online platform, with participants assigned random identification numbers to protect confidentiality.
- Upon survey completion, participants received their compensation and a debriefing sheet explaining the study's goals and providing sleep hygiene resources.
The dependent variable, percentage of total sleep time spent in REM sleep, was operationally defined as participants' self-reported estimate of the proportion of their typical night's sleep spent in the dreaming or REM stage, expressed as a percentage from 0% to 100%, as indicated on item 23 of the Sleep Pattern Assessment Questionnaire: 'Based on your understanding of your own sleep, approximately what percentage of your total sleep time do you believe you spend in the dreaming (REM) stage of sleep?'
Parental consent was obtained for all minor participants (ages 8-17) prior to their involvement in the study. Parents received detailed information about the survey content, time commitment, and their child's right to withdraw at any time without penalty. Additionally, child participants provided written assent, ensuring they understood and agreed to participate. All data were collected anonymously to protect participant confidentiality.
Survey results revealed a clear pattern of decreasing self-reported REM sleep percentage across age groups. Children reported the highest mean REM sleep percentage (M = 28.4%, SD = 5.2), followed by adolescents (M = 23.1%, SD = 4.8), with adults reporting the lowest percentage (M = 18.7%, SD = 4.1). This represents a decline of approximately 10 percentage points from childhood to adulthood, with each age group differing significantly from the others.
| Age Group | n | Mean REM % | SD | Range | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Group (ages 8-10) | 100 | 28.4% | 5.2 | 18-42% | [27.4, 29.4] |
| Adolescent Group (ages 15-17) | 100 | 23.1% | 4.8 | 14-35% | [22.2, 24.0] |
| Adult Group (ages 30-50) | 100 | 18.7% | 4.1 | 10-28% | [17.9, 19.5] |
The survey findings support the hypothesis that the proportion of sleep devoted to REM sleep decreases progressively from childhood through adulthood. This age-related decline in REM sleep aligns with current understanding of neural plasticity—the brain's ability to form and reorganize synaptic connections. During childhood, when neural plasticity is at its peak and the brain is rapidly developing new neural pathways, higher levels of REM sleep may facilitate synaptic consolidation, memory formation, and neural circuit refinement. As individuals mature and the brain becomes less plastic, the reduced need for extensive synaptic reorganization may correspond with diminished REM sleep requirements. However, as this study relied on self-report measures, future research using polysomnography² would strengthen these conclusions.
Hernandez, R. M., Chen, W. L., & Patterson, A. K. (2022). Developmental changes in self-reported REM sleep patterns: A cross-sectional survey across the lifespan. Journal of Sleep and Developmental Psychology, 34(2), 145-162. https://doi.org/10.1037/sdp0000892
1. Demographic categories reflect terminology used by participants during self-identification. The research team acknowledges that these categories may not fully capture the complexity of individual racial and ethnic identities.
2. Polysomnography refers to a comprehensive sleep study that records brain waves, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, breathing, and eye and leg movements during sleep, providing objective measures of sleep stages including REM sleep.
