Abstract
We report an attempted replication of G. T. W. Patrick and J. A. Gilbert’s pioneering sleep deprivation experiment ‘Studies from the psychological laboratory of the University of Iowa. On the effects of loss of sleep’, conducted in 1895/96. Patrick and Gilbert’s study was the first sleep deprivation experiment of its kind, performed by some of the first formally trained psychologists. We attempted to recreate the original experience in two subjects, using similar apparatus and methodology, and drawing direct comparisons to the original study whenever possible. We argue for a strong influence of an ‘Americanized’ Wundtian psychology on Patrick and Gilbert, a claim supported biographically by their education and by their experimental methods. The replication thus opens interesting new perspectives, which are unlikely to be generated by any other historical approach.
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Notes
‘Marie De Manacéïne in the authorship of her publication, following the practice of the time of translating names into French for an international audience’ (Bentivoglio and Grassi-Zucconi 1997, p. 570).
After a walk in the cold evening air A. G. S.’ temperature fell to 35.33°C but quickly regained its normal value. The researchers were probably especially sensitive to drops in body temperature because these were among the major pathological symptoms described in Manasseina’s sleep deprived dogs. However A. G. S.’ drop in body temperature was not nearly as drastic as that described in Manasseina’s monograph (De Manacéïne 1897, p. 68).
Patrick and Gilbert did not analyze the samples but had them analyzed by the Chemistry department.
In addition, G. N. B. who did not show an increase in reaction times showed considerably larger variability during the first half of the experiment, which may have masked the effect observed in the other two subjects.
However, according to Kleitman, a period of 62–65 h of prolonged abstinence from sleep is sufficient to produce maximal effects of sleep deprivation (Kleitman, p 303). In our replication, only T. F. was awake for this period of time, but he did not show any marked effect on the cognitive or physiological measures derived from the original study.
A term coined by E. W. Scripture (Sokal 1980).
Kohlschütter, a student of medicine measured the depth of sleep in human subjects using Fechner’s 'Schallpendel', a pendulum that would strike against a slate slab to produce varying sound intensities depending on the length of the pendulum’s arc. With this instrument, Kohlschütter produced a depth of sleep curve while observing sleepers over several nights and recording the sound intensities necessary to awaken them. 33 years later the same curve served as a baseline comparison in Patrick and Gilbert’s recovery sleep experiment.Although Kohlschütter’s curve was essentially flawed this should not make a difference in respect to Patrick and Gilbert’s observations. The curve, which made its way into almost every textbook on sleep (Kleitman 1939), was flawed by Kohlschütters preconceptions. Kohlschütter, a firm adherer to 'Weber’s law' (Fechner’s biophysical law), regarded every value after the first two hours that was larger than the preceding value as error, which led him to reject 45% of his original data (Swan 1929). This data would have radically changed the appearance of the curve during the later part of the night, an error that was only discovered 67 years later (Swan 1929). For a detailed discussion, see Swan (1929) and Kleitman (1939).
Seashore’s talent as an experimental psychologist, his energy and his research interests may have played a role.
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The present paper was initiated as part of the 'Pedagogical Replications' project at Bowling Green State University. The origins and nature of the project are described in Tweney (this issue).
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Fuchs, T., Burgdorf, J. Replication and Pedagogy in the History of Psychology IV: Patrick and Gilbert (1896) on Sleep Deprivation. Sci & Educ 17, 511–524 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-007-9106-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-007-9106-6