biospychology - laterisation of function

Question 1

laterisation of function

Answer 1

• the two halves of the human brain each have specifications (left for language right for visual-motor tasks)
• connected through nerve fibres called corpus collosum

Question 2

sperry & gazzanigga

Answer 2

• controlled lab observation
• used 11 patients whose corpus callosum had been servered (hemispheres dont communicate)
• presented with images to either right or left visual field
• range of tasks used and participants had to either verbally respond or draw what they could see with either their left/right hand

Question 3

sperry & gazzanigga findings

Answer 3

• could speak when presented to right visual field
• could draw when presented to right visual field with right hand
• could draw when presented to left visual field with left hand

Question 4

limitation of split brain research - rare

Answer 4

• surgical procedure rarely carried out
• only used 11 patients, idiographic case studies
• individual differences not controlled
• results can not be generalised to wider public

Question 5

limitation of split brain research - age

Answer 5

• researchers found that language becomes more laterised to the left with increasing age in children and adolescents
• decreases with each decade of life by 25
• raises questions about laterisation
• issues of whether language is restricted to left hemisphere
• Turk, case study patient damage to the left but developed ability to speak about information presented to right or left, right hemisphere taken some language function
• laterisation not fixed

Question 6

strenght - increases neural processing capacity

Answer 6

• Rogers, domestic chicken brain, laterisation associated with enhanced ability to perform two tasks simultaneously
• using only one hemisphere leaves other free to engage in other functions
• demonstrates how laterisation can enhance brain efficiency in certain cognitive tasks
• findings may not generalise, carried out on non humans