How Sleep Deprivation Affects Psychological Variables Related to College Students Cognitive Performance
How Sleep Deprivation Affects Psychological Variables Related to College Students Cognitive Performance
Jenny R. Downs
Fall07, PSY 1513 41
General Psychology (MSVCC) (2575) Sleep deprivation is very common for college students. A pattern is usually
developed with sleep deprivation peaking during the week and even more during exam
periods. Performance levels are significantly lower during these periods even though the
students beleived that their performance was better. Many studies have been conducted to
try to evaluate the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance and on
psychological variables related to cognitive performance in college students. The study in
this reading included sixty-five volunteers. Of the sixty-five, only fourty-four participants
finished the study. In the study, the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal was given
to participants to measure cognitive performance. This test had a fourty minute time limit.
The Profile of Mood States scale was used simultaneously with the Watson-Glaser
Thinkin Appraisal to assess the mood of the volunteers. The entire study lasted from
10:00pm on a Friday night to 11:00am the next morning. Twenty-four hours of sleep
deprivation was all that was allowed for this experiment. No alcohol or non-prescription
drugs were allowed for this study. The result of the study concluded that the participants
that were sleep-deprived did much worse on the Watson-Glaser Thinking Appraisal than
did the participants who had sleep. The sleep deprived participants reported that they had
higher concentration, put in more effort and had better performance than the participants
that had no lack of sleep. The findings concluded that they did significantly worse than
the students that were not sleep-deprived. The only increases that the sleep-deprived
participants had were in fatigue and confusion. The study concluded that the non-
deprived participants did much better on
Jenny R. Downs
Fall07, PSY 1513 41
General Psychology (MSVCC) (2575) Sleep deprivation is very common for college students. A pattern is usually
developed with sleep deprivation peaking during the week and even more during exam
periods. Performance levels are significantly lower during these periods even though the
students beleived that their performance was better. Many studies have been conducted to
try to evaluate the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance and on
psychological variables related to cognitive performance in college students. The study in
this reading included sixty-five volunteers. Of the sixty-five, only fourty-four participants
finished the study. In the study, the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal was given
to participants to measure cognitive performance. This test had a fourty minute time limit.
The Profile of Mood States scale was used simultaneously with the Watson-Glaser
Thinkin Appraisal to assess the mood of the volunteers. The entire study lasted from
10:00pm on a Friday night to 11:00am the next morning. Twenty-four hours of sleep
deprivation was all that was allowed for this experiment. No alcohol or non-prescription
drugs were allowed for this study. The result of the study concluded that the participants
that were sleep-deprived did much worse on the Watson-Glaser Thinking Appraisal than
did the participants who had sleep. The sleep deprived participants reported that they had
higher concentration, put in more effort and had better performance than the participants
that had no lack of sleep. The findings concluded that they did significantly worse than
the students that were not sleep-deprived. The only increases that the sleep-deprived
participants had were in fatigue and confusion. The study concluded that the non-
deprived participants did much better on