biopsychology: split brain research Flashcards
sperry + gazzaniga?
involves patients who experienced surgical separation of hemispheres- allows us to find out the extent to which brain function is lateralised. they assessed them in language, tactile + motor skills.
corpus callosum?
hemispheres connected through nerve fibres which facilitate communication between the 2 hemispheres
describe what you see?
picture in lvf: says nothing, can’t describe,
picture in rvf: could describe what they saw
tactile tests?
object in left, object seen in rvf: could not describe what they felt + left hand could identify it by selecting a similar object.
object in right, object seen in lvf: can describe + select item
motor skills tests?
draw with left, seen in rvf: consistently drew clearer with left.
draw with right, see in lvf: attempts to draw but not as good. demonstrates superiority of right hemsiphere.
scientific research?
quasi experiments + clinical case studies so combines qualitative + quantitative approaches, so studied statistically + descriptive which increases validity
sbr useful?
useful in discoveries of lateralisation
added to unity of consciousness debate?
sbr patients demonstrate that an intact corpus callosum + correspondingly, interhemispheric communication are not essential for consiousness.
lack of controls?
lack of valid control groups, may be additional effects of surgery other than just procedure, some experienced drug therapy for longer
sample size?
11 atypical patients, can’t compare, as they experienced different levels of surgery
ecological validity +plasticity?
findings of study unlikely to be found irl as someone with severed cc who had both eyes would be able to compensate for such a loss.
normally these patients don’t notice anything in their day to day
language not restricted to left h?
turk et al: discovered JW (damaged left h) developed capacity to speak in right hemisphere
