BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Question 1

What was the aim for Sperry’s study into ‘split brain’ patients?

Answer 1

Investigate the effect of hemisphere disconnection and to show each hemisphere has different functions, and that information in one hemisphere is not accessible in to the other hemisphere

Question 2

What was Sperry’s method?

Answer 2

• 11 epileptic ‘split-brain’ patients
• quasi experiment
• repeated measures design

Question 3

What was the procedure for the visual task?

Answer 3

1. T-scope used, meant it was very controlled
2. told to stare at dot
3. image flashed for 1/10th of a second meaning it was only shown in one visual field

Question 4

Where does the left visual field relate to in the brain?

Answer 4

Right hemisphere (creativity) 
Right hemisphere controls the left side of the body

Question 5

Where does the right visual field relate to in the brain?

Answer 5

Left hemisphere (language)
Controls right side of the body

Question 6

What was the other visual task involving symbols for Sperry?

Answer 6

1. two symbols shown simultaneously in different visual fields (dollar sign and question mark shown to right visual field)
2. Ps asked to draw what they saw using their LEFT hand (right hemisphere) draw a dollar sign, but when asked name what they drew they said a question mark

Question 7

What was Sperry’s tactile task?

Answer 7

1. Ps asked to feel an object in different hands but couldn’t see what they were holding
2. when asked what they held in their left hand (info from right hemisphere) they couldn’t name it, but they could pick it out again
3. however, if placed in right hand they could name it (left hemisphere- language)

Question 8

What was the explanation about the tactile task for Sperry?

Answer 8

Supported idea of lateralisation of function in the brain

-meaning different areas of the brain are specialised for different things, for example- left hemisphere= language

Question 9

What was the procedure of Mischel’s test prior to Casey?

Answer 9

1. give child marshmallow
2. either eat it or wait for another
3. left to wait by themselves
4. if they don’t eat the marshmallow they get another one

Question 10

What is the function of the inferior frontal gyrus?

Answer 10

• involved in deciding whether to resist or not

- related to ‘cool’ system which involves cognitive control- acted in the prefrontal cortex

Question 11

What is the function of the ventral striatum?

Answer 11

-part of limbic system which involve cognitive control- located in prefrontal cortex

Question 12

What was the aim for Casey?

Answer 12

Wanted to consider the extent to which the ability to resist temptation at pre-school age affected the same participant in adult hood

Question 13

what did Casey predict about his study?

Answer 13

-low delayers would show more errors in the Go/No-Go task if the stimuli were ‘hot’ (rewarding emotional faces) than the high delayers (those Ps showed consistent high self-control)

Question 14

What did Casey predict in the fMRI brain scans while completing the Go/No-Go task would show about low delayers?

Answer 14

1. show lower activity in inferior frontal gyrus, suggesting lower response inhibition to stimuli
2. would show increased activity in the ventral striatum, where positive or rewarding cues are processed, than high delayers

Question 15

What was the method for Casey?

Answer 15

1. Ps tested at age four on Marshmallow test and also completed tests of self-control on a self-report in the twenties (1993) and thirties (2003)
2. original study tested 526 Ps
3. 1993 follow up completed by 155 adults and 135 completed the 2003 control self-report

Question 16

What was the sample for Casey’s first experiment?

Answer 16

Low delayers- 60 out of the 135 Ps from 2003
High delayers- (57/135 Ps from 2003)
117 Ps contacted and 59 agreed to be tested
-27/59 low delayers
-32/59 high delayers

Question 17

What was the method for the first experiment of Casey’s?

Answer 17

Reported on two natural or quasi experiments as the IV is naturally occurring

Question 18

What was the procedure for Casey’s first experiment?

Answer 18

1. 59 tested, self-control test via Go/No-Go
2. ‘hot’ stimulus- happy and fearful faces
3. ‘cold’- neutral
4. face appeared for 500ms, with 1s intervals between them
5. reheated measures

Question 19

What were the Go/No-Go takes for Casey?

Answer 19

• ‘cool’ version, press button when see male neutral face
• ‘cool’ version, press button when female neutral
• ‘hot’ happy face
• ‘hot’ fearful face

Question 20

What are the results for both low and high delayers in experiment one?

Answer 20

Happy face
15.7%
11.2%
Low delayers make more mistakes

Question 21

What was the sample and design for experiment 2 (Casey)?

Answer 21

15 high delayers
11 low delayers
Repeated measures

Question 22

How did the second experiment differ from the first for Casey?

Answer 22

1. instead of 1-s delays, there was 2-14.5-s, where Ps rested while viewing a sighting reference point
2. stimuli and instructions identical- apparatus different
   - stimulus presented on screen in scanner and a different type of push button apparatus used for response

Question 23

What are the results from experiment 2?

Answer 23

-Both high on accuracy-
Low delayers= 14.5%
High delayers= 10.9%
-Low delayers showed low activity in right inferior frontal gyrus (important in withholding responses)
-Low delayers show high activity in ventral striatum, specifically in ‘hot’ tasks (related to rewards)

Question 24

What are conclusions from both of Casey’s experiments?

Answer 24

Resisting temptation is a relatively stable individual characteristic
-shown through study over 40 year span, children who had more difficulty suppressing response to socially alluring cues (happy)