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    Final Paper

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    This document contains a final paper submitted by Kat Rolfson for their PSY1010 class. It discusses two topics: [1] how loneliness is correlated with higher physiological stress responses, and [2] how high quality infant sleep predicts better social skills in middle childhood. For the first topic, the paper explains that lacking social connections activates our fight or flight response, causing acute and chronic stress. For the second topic, it describes how sleep aids brain development and regulates neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which influence traits like extraversion that help with social skills. The paper concluded by saying researching these topics encouraged the author to focus more on sleep routines and social connection.

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    Final Paper

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    54 views5 pages
    This document contains a final paper submitted by Kat Rolfson for their PSY1010 class. It discusses two topics: [1] how loneliness is correlated with higher physiological stress responses, and [2] how high quality infant sleep predicts better social skills in middle childhood. For the first topic, the paper explains that lacking social connections activates our fight or flight response, causing acute and chronic stress. For the second topic, it describes how sleep aids brain development and regulates neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which influence traits like extraversion that help with social skills. The paper concluded by saying researching these topics encouraged the author to focus more on sleep routines and social connection.

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    This document contains a final paper submitted by Kat Rolfson for their PSY1010 class. It discusses two topics: [1] how loneliness is correlated with higher physiological stress responses, and [2] how high quality infant sleep predicts better social skills in middle childhood. For the first topic, the paper explains that lacking social connections activates our fight or flight response, causing acute and chronic stress. For the second topic, it describes how sleep aids brain development and regulates neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which influence traits like extraversion that help with social skills. The paper concluded by saying researching these topics encouraged the author to focus more on sleep routines and social connection.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    54 views5 pages

    Final Paper

    Uploaded by

    api-273364019
    This document contains a final paper submitted by Kat Rolfson for their PSY1010 class. It discusses two topics: [1] how loneliness is correlated with higher physiological stress responses, and [2] how high quality infant sleep predicts better social skills in middle childhood. For the first topic, the paper explains that lacking social connections activates our fight or flight response, causing acute and chronic stress. For the second topic, it describes how sleep aids brain development and regulates neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which influence traits like extraversion that help with social skills. The paper concluded by saying researching these topics encouraged the author to focus more on sleep routines and social connection.

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    Kat Rolfson

    PSY1010
    Final Paper
    Due 7/31/2020

    Final Paper

    Topic 1

    A 2017 article in the journal, Psychophysiology, reviewed previous research examining the

    relationship between loneliness and the physiological response to acute stress (e.g., immediate

    threats in our environment – not chronic stress). The authors concluded that there was strong

    evidence suggesting that high levels of loneliness is correlated with higher levels of

    physiological responses (e.g., blood pressure, inflammation) compared to those who are less

    lonely.

    Part 1: Why would there be a correlation between loneliness and an increased physiological

    response to acute stress?

    The meaning of life has been a great topic of debate for hundreds of years. To some, the

    measure of generational wealth is important. To others, the meaning of life is impact and what

    you leave behind. While the question of what a life of fulfillment entails remains partial, we

    cannot ignore the fact that there are basic necessities. Maslow would state that we need to satisfy

    a specific order in the hierarchy of needs before achieving self-actualization, or our full potential.

    Among the lower rungs of the hierarchy is the need of love and belonging. Maslow’s theory is

    that a lack of satisfaction of love and belonging would impede us from moving on to the next

    rung in the hierarchy, forever dooming us to a life of feeling unsafe (King 2019 pg 342). When

    we feel unsafe, our autonomic nervous system, or more commonly defined as the feeling of
    ‘fight or flight’, kicks in. This is defined as acute stress. Although acute stress is often fleeting

    and momentary, it can become a chronic, prolonged problem (King 2019, pg 45).

    Maslow is not alone in recognizing the importance of social ties and support. One of the

    needs outlined by the self-determination theory is relatedness, which is the need to engage in

    warm relations with other people (King 2019, pg 344). Research has shown that social support is

    one of the most important variables in predicting health. In fact, social isolation has six times the

    mortality rate of cigarettes due to low levels of physical activity and higher levels of stress (King

    2019 pg 526). Suicide, the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., is theorized by Thomas Joiner

    to emerge from social needs not being met. When someone feels like they do not belong, are

    chronically lonely, see themselves as a burden and often desire to die (King 2019, pg 483). A

    detrimental effect of chronic loneliness is stress. Stress affects our immune system and ability to

    fight off illness and disease, and chronic stress only compounds the health risks.

    Part 2: If the research results described above surprised you, briefly explain why. For

    example, why might you not expect the results described above?

    Although I often heard about eldery people dying shortly after their spouse, I would not

    have correlated it to chronic acute stress due to loneliness. It also makes sense why suicide

    prevention advocates for reaching out and lending an ear. It’s an effort to show someone who

    may feel isolated that they belong and are loved. Overall, it has inspired me to make contact with

    more people that I care for and make an effort to raise awareness about being more inclusive in

    social endeavors.
    Topic 2

    A 2016 research study in the journal, Social Development, found that high quality sleep during

    infancy was correlated with better social skills (e.g., peer relationships/interactions) during

    middle childhood.

    Part 1: Why would sleep quality, as an infant, predict effective social skills during middle

    childhood?

    When we think about the growth and development of infants, we consider their

    milestones. They exert masses of energy on mastering the motor skills it takes to lift their heads,

    roll over and sit up. Their babbles and coos eventually turn into single and double words. They

    start to codify information in their long-term memory for easy retrieval in the future.

    Since infants spend their waking time learning new information and practicing skills,

    quality of sleep is of enormous importance to their development. Sleep activates their brain’s

    plasticity, which allows it to change with experience, and solidifies the learning the infant did

    while it was awake (King 2019, pg 133). The neurotransmitter serotonin plays a key role in

    maintaining the brain’s plasticity, and also regulates sleep and wakefulness. Low levels of

    serotonin are linked to anger, anxiety, and depression, all of which affects quality of sleep (King

    2019, pg 53).

    Dopamine, another neurotransmitter that affects sleep, is responsible for our brain

    recognizing reward. As such, it is released by the hypothalamus when we engage in activities

    necessary for our survival. The hypothalamus regulates our daily rhythms of sleep and

    wakefulness, or circadian rhythms, based on input from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
    which is a small brain structure that monitors the change from day to night. Without it, we would

    fail to get quality sleep.

    Dopamine is also related to the personality trait of extraversion (King 2019, pg 53).

    Extraversion is defined as outgoing and sociable. People who are extroverted tend to thrive in

    social situations and enjoy interacting with others (King 2019, pg 378). Therefore, an infant who

    gets quality sleep often benefits from the biological effects it provides and tends to be more

    socially effective in later years.

    Part 2: Did these results change your perspective on sleep, human development, social

    psychology, motivation, personality, or other areas of psychology we have discussed? Please

    explain.

    Sleep is theorized to be regenerative and restorative to our body. It was incredibly

    interesting to understand more about how sleep affects children, and how the parallels affect

    myself. I personally have always struggled to fall asleep, let alone get enough of it. If I don’t get

    enough sleep, it takes a very clear toll on my cognitive abilities. Doing further research has

    encouraged me to create a consistent bedtime for myself, and establish a more defined routine for

    my children.
    References

    King, L.A.(2019). Experience Psychology with Connect Access (4thed.). McGraw Hill.

    ISBN: 9781260236255

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