Age and sleep

• What is the aim of the research?

  • To investigate whether younger individuals (aged 16–19) sleep more hours on average compared to older individuals (aged 20–75).
• What is the Independent Variable (IV)?

  Age group, operationalised as two categories: younger individuals (aged 16–19) and older individuals (aged 20–75).
• What is the Dependent Variable (DV)?

  The average number of hours slept per night.
• What is the null hypothesis?

  There is no significant difference in the average number of hours slept per night between younger individuals (aged 16–19) and older individuals (aged 20–75). Any observed differences are due to chance.
• What is the alternative hypothesis?

  Younger individuals (aged 16–19) sleep significantly longer on average per night than older individuals (aged 20–75).
• Why was a directional hypothesis chosen?

  A directional hypothesis was chosen because previous research suggests that younger individuals typically sleep more than older individuals due to age-related physiological changes affecting sleep duration.
• How is the DV operationalised?

  The DV is measured as the average number of hours slept per night over a one-week period, with participants recording their bedtimes and wake times in a self-reported sleep diary.
• What are some possible confounding variables?

  Lifestyle factors (e.g., caffeine, electronic device use), physical/mental health, medications, age-related factors (e.g., menopause, puberty), and sleep hygiene could affect sleep patterns.
• How will you control for confounding variables?

  By collecting detailed lifestyle data, screening for health conditions, using consistent data collection methods, and excluding participants with significant sleep disorders.
• What are possible extraneous variables?

  One-off events (stress, personal issues), changes in routine (holidays, exams), environmental factors (noise, light exposure), physical health issues, and changes in sleep patterns (excitement, anxiety).
• How will you control for extraneous variables?

  By including clear instructions, using average sleep duration over a week, requesting explanations for outliers, and using statistical methods to handle outliers.
• What are the benefits of using the average sleep duration?

  It minimizes the impact of random disruptions like one-off events or temporary disturbances, providing a more reliable measure of sleep patterns.