Blakemore and Cooper 1970 on early visual experience - animal research on brain plasticity

Question 1

Blakemore and Cooper - aim

Answer 1

• to look further at the physiological and behavioural effects of restricted early visual experience on the development of cells of visual cortex.
• to consider whether brain development/plasticity occurs due to nurture, aka experience, rather than nature

Question 2

Blakemore and Cooper - design

Answer 2

• laboratory experiment, with independent measures design because 2 groups of ppt.
• IV: whether kittens early experience was of totally horizontal/vertical environment.
• two DV’s:
• behavioural differences: making comparisons between 2 cats( one raised in horizontal and one raised in vertical) and also between cats and normal behaviour.
• neurophysiological differences: cells in visual cortex were tested to see how they responded to lines of different orietation.

Question 3

Blakemore and Cooper - sample

Answer 3

• participants were 2 cats, newborn kittens at start of study so visual cortex was unaffected by environment.
• only one cat was studies in depth for each level of IV, one in horizontal environment and one in vertical environment.
• in testing phase, DVs assessed, cats were 5 months old during behavioural tests and 7.5 months old at time of neurological tests.

Question 4

Blakemore and Cooper - apparatus

Answer 4

• special cylinder constructed where kitten stood on clear glass platform. entire surface of cylinder was covered with contrasting black and white strips, vertical or horizontal.
• No corners or edges anywhere.
• Kitten wore wide black collar to prevent it being able to see own body and beyond world of stripes.

Question 5

Blakemore and Cooper - procedure

Answer 5

• EARLY EXPERIENCE
  1. first 2 weeks, kittens were in completely dark room,

Question 6

Blakemore and Cooper - results

Question 7

Blakemore and Cooper - conclusion