Biological Area- Blakemoore & Cooper

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

Built their research from hersch and Spinellis study on kittens with one eye seeing vertical and one eye seeing horizontal

Question 2

Aims

Answer 2

Investigate how being raised in a visually restricted environment would affect the visual brain development of cats
Compare behavioural consequences of raising kittens seeing only horizontal or vertical stripes
Investigate neuropsychological effect on neurones in kittens visual cortex

Question 3

Sample

Answer 3

2 newborn kittens

Question 4

Procedure

Answer 4

Cats in completely dark room for 2 weeks
Then from 2 weeks-5 months they saw horizontal or vertical lines for 5 hours a day
They wore black collar so they couldn’t see themselves
At 5 months they were put in a well lit room with furniture and their behaviour was observed

Question 5

Results

Answer 5

Initial reactions: no visual placing when carried towards a table & no startle reflex

After 10 hours: they had startle reflexes and visual placing and could jump with ease from a chair to the floor

Permanent defects: always followed moving objects with clumsy jerky head movements & tried to reach things obviously too far away

Cat who saw horizontal lines not able to see vertical lines and vice versa

Question 6

Neurophysiological results

Answer 6

Had eyes opened and electrodes inserted to eyes to take readings from individual neurones

Question 7

Conclusions

Answer 7

Differences between kittens suggests neurones can change orientation according to stimulation they receive, matching ability of brain to respond to features in its visual imput

Question 8

Ethics

Answer 8

Minimised harm by only studying 2 cats
Not used human participants
Harm caused to cats

Question 9

Internal reliability

Answer 9

Controlled conditions- easily repeated

Question 10

External reliability

Answer 10

Small sample but both cats had same results

Question 11

Construct validity

Answer 11

Cats could have already had sight defects and individual differences

Question 12

Concurrent validity

Answer 12

Both reflected previous results

Question 13

Ecological validity

Answer 13

Don’t grow up seeing lines from birth for 4 months

Question 14

Population validity

Answer 14

Sample not generalised because it’s a diff species but cats have similar visual views to humans

Question 15

Link to biological area

Answer 15

It investigates effect of environment on developing brain in cats, specifically demonstrated plasticity of the kittens brains as neurones originally primed to prefer either horizontal or vertical orientation.