The relation of eye movements during sleep to dream activity - Dement, W. and Kleitman, N. (1957)
Most people have heard of REM sleep, and many already know it is the stage where dreams occur, but what is the real relationship between eye movements and dreaming? Are the eye movements random, or do their movements have some relationship to the dream we are having?
Assignment 1 - Evaluation practiceWrite a PEE point evaluating the Dement and Kleitman study (either positively or negatively) for the following points:
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Big Issue - The Free Will/Determinism debateAre we in control of our own actions? We think we are, but are we really? Our idea of free will could actually just be an illusion.
Human beings are physical beings, made of chemicals which obey the laws of physics like any other. Chemicals don't have free will, so why should a big bag of chemicals like us? Sometimes it seems like determinism, the idea that we are not in control of our actions and that all of our behaviours are 'determined' by other forces, is the only possible conclusion. Where would you place each of the following perspectives on the spectrum to the right?
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RevisionWatch the video, then fill in the study summary sheet below in as much detail as you can from memory
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ExtensionLibet's experiments into free willThirty years ago, Benjamin Libet produced experimental evidence that seemed to show that we could not possess free will. The experiment is described in the video below. How persuasive do you find it? Could there be any other explanations for his findings?
Here is a brilliant essay on free will by Robert Sapolsky, a professor of Neurobiology. Bear it in mind the next time you praise someone for being attractive or good at sport!
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