Michael K. Scullin was with Washington University in St. Louis when he performed a study called “Sleep, Memory, and Aging: The Link Between Slow-Wave Sleep and Episodic Memory Changes From Younger to Older Adults”. Since previous research has already proven that slow-wave sleep does decline as we get older. This study was conducted to see if the decline of Slow-Wave Sleep (SWS) in older adults is in fact connected to the decline of their episodic memory. Michael Scullin explained clearly and with an open mind why he was preforming this study.
II. Methods
Michael Scullin’s qualitative experimental research consisted of only 57 young adults and 41 older adults participated. After the selection the participants were randomly separated into three groups: 12-hr wake, 12-hr sleep, and 24-hr (night-to-night) sleep groups. Each participant was given a wireless home sleep-stage monitoring device which distinguishes between wake, light sleep, SWS, and REM sleep. sleep stages. The different stages of sleep become the variables for this study. Scullin went with time sampling since he tested each participant at specific times each day. Before they went to sleep they each had to do a word pair learning, and a math test. After completing both they were given a cued-recall test which they had to score at least 80% in order to go to sleep. After the data was collected it was broken down by sleep type, age, and the t and p values refer to the age-group main effect. After reviewing the procedures that Scullin used, I do think that he was through in his methods.
III. Ethical Aspects
All the subjects that participated in this study were pre-screened and made fully aware of what the research entailed and how long this study would last. Michael Scullin did not discuss ethics in his article because of the research that was being conducted safety was not an issue for the participants. As for confidentiality, no one that participated was named in his research only