Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1932. / Vita. Published also as Archives of psychology, no. 137. Bibliography: p. 48-49.

Thesis (B.A. (Hons.)) - University of Queensland, 2004. / Includes bibliography.

Sleep is a complex process: the timing of sleep is regulated by two systems (the sleep homeostat and the circadian clock) and there are many potential functions of sleep. The aim of this thesis was to investigate: the impact of light on the regulation of sleep timing (study 1) and the role of sleep in emotional processing (study 2). Study 1 used natural variations in environmental light levels at different geographical locations, to examine the influence of daily light irradiance on sleep timing and chronotype using the Munich chronotype questionnaire (MCTQ). 6443 students were included in this study from six universities from the northern and southern hemispheres. Students in southern hemisphere cities had earlier sleep timings than those in the northern cities. Daily irradiance was higher in the southern hemisphere cities. The amount of time spent outside, age and sex, but not daily irradiance, influenced sleep timings. Study 2 explored the impact of an analogue traumatic event (trauma film) in students who were either sleep deprived or not sleep deprived on intrusive memories ("flashbacks"), sleep physiology and the impact of an increased risk of a mood disorder on this relationship. In this study the sleep deprived participants (n=19) reported fewer intrusive memories to the trauma film than those not sleep deprived (n=22). A change in sleep physiology was observed in the first sleep period following the trauma film, which was more pronounced in the sleep deprived group: increased levels of arousal, REM density and activity in the occipital region. Only three participants at-risk of a mood disorder completed study 2: their data are presented as case studies. In conclusion this research has demonstrated that differences in sleep timings exist between cities in the southern and northern hemispheres and has confirmed that many factors can influence sleep timing. It has also been demonstrated that following a highly emotional event not sleeping may have a beneficial effect, which has implications for the treatment of people after trauma.

The desire to enhance and make ourselves better is not a new one and it has continued to intrigue throughout the ages. Individuals have continued to seek ways to improve and enhance their well-being for example through nutrition, physical exercise, education and so on. Crucial to this improvement of their well-being is improving their ability to remember. Hence, people interested in improving their well-being, are often interested in memory as well. The rationale being that memory is crucial to our well-being. The desire to improve one’s memory then is almost certainly as old as the desire to improve one’s well-being. Traditionally, people have used different means in an attempt to enhance their memories: for example in learning through storytelling, studying, and apprenticeship. In remembering through practices like mnemonics, repetition, singing, and drumming. In retaining, storing and consolidating memories through nutrition and stimulants like coffee to help keep awake; and by external aids like notepads and computers. In forgetting through rituals and rites. Recent scientific advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology, molecular biology, neuroscience, and information technologies, present a wide variety of technologies to enhance many different aspects of human functioning. Thus, some commentators have identified human enhancement as central and one of the most fascinating subject in bioethics in the last two decades. Within, this period, most of the commentators have addressed the Ethical, Social, Legal and Policy (ESLP) issues in human enhancements as a whole as opposed to specific enhancements. However, this is problematic and recently various commentators have found this to be deficient and called for a contextualized case-by-case analysis to human enhancements for example genetic enhancement, moral enhancement, and in my case memory enhancement (ME). The rationale being that the reasons for accepting/rejecting a particular enhancement vary depending on the enhancement itself. Given this enormous variation, moral and legal generalizations about all enhancement processes and technologies are unwise and they should instead be evaluated individually. Taking this as a point of departure, this research will focus specifically on making a case for ME and in doing so assessing the ESLP implications arising from ME. My analysis will draw on the already existing literature for and against enhancement, especially in part two of this thesis; but it will be novel in providing a much more in-depth analysis of ME. From this perspective, I will contribute to the ME debate through two reviews that address the question how we enhance the memory, and through four original papers discussed in part three of this thesis, where I examine and evaluate critically specific ESLP issues that arise with the use of ME. In the conclusion, I will amalgamate all my contribution to the ME debate and suggest the future direction for the ME debate.