B- localisation Flashcards
What is localisation?
localisation of brain function refers to the theory that different parts of the brain are responsible fore different aspects of the human functioning e.g. behaviour
It relates to the idea that cognitions, emotions, and behaviours are products of the endocrine system
investigations usually look at correlation between brain processes and structures and human behaviour.
what study suppots localisation?
Maguire et al (2000)
AIM- investigate if extensive use of spatial navigation changes the brain’s structure
METHOD- MRI scans were made and analysed from an experimental group consisted of 16 right-handed male taxi drivers, and a control group consisted of 50 right handed male non-taxi drivers.
RESULTS- increase in grey matter was found in brains of the taxi drivers,
Positive correlation between volume of right posterior hippocampus and time spent as a taxi driver.
CONCLUSION- evidence for structural differences between hippocampi- suggests extensive spacial navigation affects hippocampus, brain can change in response to environmental demands- spatial navigation is localised to the right posterior hippocampus.
evaluation of maguire?
STRENGTHS- control group scans came from a pre-existing database- cut down on the cost of the study.
WEAKNESS- consent of the patients for their information to be used.
evidence gained about the taxi drivers was only correlational, rather than causational
what is the case study for localisation?
HM- Milner (1966)
- biking accident caused servere epilepsy as a child
- radical surgury removed large part of hippocampus
- did help with epilepsy, however HM now unable to form new explicit mempries or access LTM of last decade
- implicit memory unaffected- can still leran new tasks- star tracing task
- shows hippocampus incvolved with transfer of declarative memories from stm to ltm
evakuation of HM
+ observed by many psychologists over 50 years, method triangulation- thorough and therefore increases validity of findings
+ biological case
- one unique experience- not representative
- not ethical- not able to give consent- no memory
