Sid is taking part in research on the effects of sleep deprivation; he has been without sleep for 75 hours. Right now researchers have asked him to sit in front of a computer screen and hit a button each time he sees the letter S on the screen. A few days ago, Sid was a whiz at this task; however, he is doing very poorly today. How are sleep researchers likely to explain Sid's poor performance?
A) Due to the sleep deprivation, Sid does not understand the task
B) Microsleeps are occurring due to the sleep deprivation and he is asleep for brief periods of time
C) He is determined to ruin the research because of the suffering he is enduring at the hands of the researchers
D) He is probably dreaming that he is somewhere else and has no interest in responding to the "here and now"

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sleep deprivation can cause microsleeps, which are brief periods of involuntary sleep. During these microsleeps, Sid could miss the letter S on the screen, leading to poor performance.

Sid Is Taking Part in Research on the Effects of Sleep