Infradian rhythms - AO3

• P - One strength of research into infradian rhythms is that it has good real world application.

  E - For example, a lightbox can be used to reset melatonin levels and relieve symptoms in up to 80% of SAD patients (Sanassi, 2014).

  A - However, light therapy can causes headaches and eye strain, as well as many people reporting a relapse in symptoms the following winter. It is suggested that CBT may be more effective than light therapy in treating SAD.

  L - Therefore, light therapy may not be considered a good real world application after all.
• P - A strength of the research into the menstrual cycle is that it could be explained through evolutionary explanations, such as natural selection.

  E - Stern and McClintock suggested that it was adaptive for women to synchronise their cycles as they could become pregnant at the same time. A - This would mean that if their were any mothers who died in childbirth there would be other mothers who could take on the breastfeeding of that child.

  L - Therefore, this suggests that menstrual synchrony is an adaptive behaviour based on use living in social groups in the past.
• P - However, there is criticism of the research into menstrual synchrony.

  E - There are many external factors that can influence a woman’s menstrual cycle, for instance stress and diet. These could be the cause of changes in menstrual cycles and so are acting as confounding variables.

  A - Women were self-reporting their own cycle which may be inaccurate. Furthermore, other studies have also failed to replicate Stern and McClintock and so this could be the reason why.

  L - This suggests that Stern and McClintock’s study lacks validity