Core studies - Biological Psychology - Maguire study

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To investigate the differences in the brains of London Taxi drivers and a control group of non taxi drivers with the main focus being on the hippocampus

Question 2

Sample for the Experimental Group

Answer 2

• 16 male taxi drivers
• Healthy
• All right handed
• Mean age 44 years

Question 3

Sample for the Control Group

Answer 3

• 16 male non taxi drivers
• All right handed
• Healthy
• Mean age 44 years

Question 4

Research Method

Answer 4

• Quasi experiment
• Matched participants with Independent measures

Question 5

What was the IV

Answer 5

Whether the participant was a taxi driver or not

Question 6

What was the DV

Answer 6

The volume of grey matter in the hippocampus

Question 7

What was the procedure using the VBM method

Answer 7

1. VBM is an automatic procedure that ‘normalises’ the scans to a template to eliminate overall brain size as a variable and then identifies differences in grey matter density in different regions of the brain.
2. The brains of the 16 taxi drivers were compared to those of 50 non-taxi drivers to see if there were any differences in structure.

Question 8

What was the procedure using the pixel counting method

Answer 8

1. Pixel counting compared the volume of anterior, body and posterior cross-sections of the taxi drivers’ hippocampi with those of previously age, gender and handedness- matched sample of 16 controls taken from the 50 used in the VBM analysis.
2. The images were analysed by one person experienced in the technique and blinded to whether the scan was of a taxi driver or a control and the VBM findings.
3. The procedure allowed the total hippocampal volume to be calculated.

Question 9

Results from Pixel Counting method

Answer 9

1. Taxi drivers had a significantly greater posterior hippocampal volume than control.
2. Controls had a significantly greater anterior right hippocampal volume than the taxi drivers and a significantly greater hippocampal body volume on the right than the left.

Question 10

Results from VBM analysis

Answer 10

1. Taxi drivers had significantly increased grey matter volume in the right and left posterior hippocampi compared to controls.
2. In the controls there was a relatively greater grey matter volume in the right and left anterior hippocampi than the taxi drivers.

Question 11

Results from Correlation analysis

Answer 11

1. As the years of taxi driving goes up, the volume of the posterior hippocampus increases
2. As the years of taxi driving goes up, the volume of the anterior hippocampus decreases

Question 12

Conclusions

Answer 12

There are regionally specific structural differences between the hippocampi of licensed London taxi drivers compared to those who do not drive London taxis.

Question 13

Link to Key Theme

Question 14

Link to Area