Biopsychology - Hemispheric Lateralisation and Split Brain Research

Question 1

What is Lateralisation?

Answer 1

When a specific function is only controlled by one side of he brain (hemisphere).

Question 2

What is contralateral wiring?

Answer 2

When one hemisphere is controls the function in the other side if the body. For example movement is contralaterally wired as the left hemisphere controls movement in the right side of the body.

Question 3

What is ipsilateral wiring?

Answer 3

When one hemisphere controls the function on the same side of the body.

Question 4

Strength for Lateralisation

Answer 4

Fink
PET scans active parts of the brain during visual task. RH active during processing full images. LH active when paying attention to detail. Shows visual control is lateralised to some extent.

Question 5

Weakness of RH as synthesiser and LH as analyser

Answer 5

Nielson
analysed brain scans. 1000 people aged 7-29. No evidence of dominant side. Evidence for lateralisation but not left brained or right brained people.

Question 6

Strength for lateralisation

Answer 6

Lesley
Lateralisation is an adaptive trait. Found that lateralised chickens could multitask better than ‘normal’ chickens. Could search for food and keep a lookout for predators.

Question 7

What is split brain research?

Answer 7

Sperry. Reduces epileptic seizures. Removal of corpus callosum. Decreases excessive electrical activity that travels from ne hemisphere to the other.