Hemispheric lateralisation

Question 1

Why is language known as being lateralised?

Answer 1

Language centres are only in the left hemisphere - however, the right hemisphere can produce rudimentary words

Question 2

What is an example of a non-lateralised function?

Answer 2

Motor skills

Question 3

What is contralateral wiring?

Answer 3

The brain in some cases is cross wired
In the motor area, the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and vice versa

Question 4

Why is vision a non-lateralised function?

Answer 4

It is both a contralateral and ipsilateral (the same side) function

Question 5

Explain the function of vision

Answer 5

• Each eye receives info from the left visual field and right visual field
• The LVF of both eyes are connected to the right hemisphere and the RVF of bith eyes are connected to the left hemisphere

Question 6

Strength - Research support

Answer 6

• Research shows that the 2 henispheres process info differently.
• Fink et al PET scans shows active brain areas in visual tasks.
• Looking at the whole picture, the RH was more active. But at finer detail, the LH was more active.
• In visual processing, HL is a feature of the connected and the split brain.

Question 7

Limitation - Defining the LH as the analyser and the RH as the synthesiser may be wrong

Answer 7

• Hemispheres perform different functions, research shows people don’t have a dominant side that creates their personality.
• Nielsen et al: brain scanned 1000 people, they used certain hemispheres for tasks, no evidence of a dominant side.
• The notion of right or left brained people is wrong.