PSYC 2800 Lecture Notes - Circadian Rhythm, Biorhythm, Seasonal Affective Disorder
20 Apr 2012
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Document Summary
Why do we sleep and dream: origins of biological rhythms, biorhythm: inherent timing mechanism that controls or initiates various biological processes, many aspects controlled by bio rhythms (eating, sleep, exercise) Linked to the cycle of days and seasons produced by the earth"s rotation around the sun. Animals living near the poles of the earth are more affected by seasonal changes than animals living in equatorial regions. Human behavior is governed more by : daily cycles than by : seasonal cycles. We breed all year round, not just at given times of the year: biological clocks, behavior is not simply driven by external cues from the environment, rhythms are endogenous (control comes from within) Biological clock: neural system that times behavior: allows animals to anticipate events before they happen. Example: birds migrate before it gets cold. Internal cue to get going: biological rhythms, period: Time required to complete a cycle of activity.
