Blakemore And Cooper Flashcards
What was the aim of Blakemore and Cooper’s study?
To investigate how early visual experience affects the development of the visual cortex, specifically whether neurons develop in response to the environment.
What psychological concept does this study support?
Neuroplasticity—the idea that the brain adapts and changes based on experience and environmental input.
What was the background to this study?
Previous research showed that neurons in the visual cortex are orientation-selective, meaning they respond to lines of a certain orientation (e.g., horizontal or vertical).
What research method was used in Blakemore & Cooper’s study?
A laboratory experiment with highly controlled conditions.
What type of experimental design was used?
Independent measures design, as kittens were raised in either a horizontally striped or vertically striped visual environment.
What was the sample in the study?
Kittens from birth to around 5 months old. The exact number is not specified.
Why were kittens used in this study?
Their brains develop rapidly in the first few months, making them ideal for studying early sensory deprivation effects.
How were the kittens raised in a controlled environment?
From birth to 2 weeks old, they were kept in a completely dark room, with no exposure to any visual stimuli.
What happened after the kittens were 2 weeks old?
They were placed in a cylindrical tube for 5 hours per day, where they could only see either horizontal or vertical stripes.
How did the kittens interact with their striped environment?
They wore a wide black collar, restricting their vision so they could only see the stripes in front of them.
Why were the kittens restricted from seeing their own bodies?
To control visual input, ensuring they were only exposed to one type of orientation (horizontal or vertical).
How long did the kittens stay in the striped environment?
They were raised in this artificial visual world for 5 months, the critical period for visual development.
What happened after the kittens were removed from the striped environment?
They were placed in a well-lit room and observed to see how they reacted to normal stimuli.
What were the initial behavioral effects observed?
The kittens showed visuomotor deficits, including:
Bumping into objects
Failing to track moving objects
No startle response to visual stimuli
How did the kittens react to horizontal and vertical lines?
Kittens raised in a vertical environment only responded to vertical lines, while kittens raised in a horizontal environment only responded to horizontal lines.
How did the kittens behave in response to objects aligned in the opposite orientation?
They ignored or did not recognize objects that were not in their reared orientation (e.g., a vertically raised kitten ignored horizontal objects).
What neurophysiological testing was conducted on the kittens?
After 7.5 months, their visual cortex neurons were examined to see if their brains had developed normal orientation-selective neurons.
What did Blakemore & Cooper discover about neurons in the visual cortex?
The kittens’ visual neurons only responded to the orientation they had been exposed to (either horizontal or vertical).
What was missing in the kittens’ brains?
There were no neurons that responded to the opposite orientation (e.g., vertical-reared kittens had no horizontal-selective neurons).
How do these findings relate to brain plasticity?
The study shows that the brain’s neural connections are shaped by experience, meaning early sensory deprivation permanently alters the brain.
What main conclusion did Blakemore & Cooper draw?
Early visual experience shapes perception, and the brain adapts based on environmental stimuli.
How does this study support the idea of critical periods in development?
The kittens never fully recovered from their visual deprivation, showing that early experience is crucial for normal vision development.
What are the real-world implications of this study?
It suggests that early sensory deprivation in humans (e.g., cataracts in infants) can lead to permanent visual impairment if not treated during the critical period.
Why does this study have high internal validity?
The highly controlled conditions (e.g., restricting visual input) ensure that only one variable (orientation exposure) influenced the results.
What makes the study scientifically rigorous?
It used objective neurophysiological measures (recording brain activity) to support the behavioral findings.
Why does the study lack generalizability to humans?
The sample consisted of kittens, whose brain plasticity may differ from that of humans.
Why does the study raise ethical concerns?
The kittens were subjected to sensory deprivation, which could be considered psychologically and physically distressing.
How does the study lack ecological validity?
The kittens were raised in an artificial, highly controlled environment, which does not reflect natural visual development.
How does this study support the nature vs. nurture debate?
It supports the nurture argument, showing that environmental experiences shape brain development.
What is the key takeaway from Blakemore & Cooper’s study?
Early sensory experiences permanently shape the brain, emphasizing the importance of early intervention in visual impairments.
