Hemispheric Lateralisation and Split-Brain Research Flashcards

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1
Q

Outline Hemispheric Lateralisation

A
  • Idea that certain functions are governed by one hemisphere of the brain
  • Left hemisphere is responsible for right side of body
  • Right hemisphere is responsible for left side of body
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2
Q

Outline first experiment of Sperry’s split-brain research in investigating hemispheric lateralisation

A
  • Describe what you see had 11 split brain patients who suffered from epilepsy and 11 non-epileptic control participants.
  • Split visual field was set up with dot in centre asking them to focus on dot.
  • Image presented on either side of visual field all participants asked to describe what they see.
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3
Q

What were the findings of the describe what you see experiment

A
  • Found that control participants could say what they saw regardless of what hemisphere processes that image
  • Split-brain patients only say what they saw when image processed by left hemisphere, suggesting that the left hemisphere is responsible for speech production
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4
Q

Outline second experiment of Sperry’s split-brain research in investigating hemispheric lateralisation

A
  • Recognition by touch had 11 split brain patients who suffered from epilepsy and 11 non-epileptic control participants.
  • Split visual field was set up with dot in centre asking them to focus on dot.
  • Image presented on either side of visual field all participants asked to pick the object they see from a series of objects behind screen
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5
Q

What were the findings of the recognition by touch experiment

A
  • Found that control group could select the object by touch with either hand regardless of what hemisphere processed the image
  • Split-brain patients could only select an object with the hand opposite to the hemisphere that processed the image, suggesting each hemisphere of brain is responsible for voluntary movement on opposite side of body.
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6
Q

Outline the strength of split-brain research

A
  • Procedures were standardised in laboratory experiments
  • Presented with same stimuli and at same time
  • Same standardised instructions (focus on dot in centre of screen to prevent eye movement)
  • Easy to replicate and check reliability of findings
    -Adds appropriateness
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7
Q

Outline one limitation of split-brain research

A
  • Replications resulted in inconsistent findings
  • Pinto did the same experiments and found that the split-brain patients had same findings as control group
    -Questions credibility
  • However Pinto did experiments year after split brain surgery so original effects seen in Sperry’s experiments were only short-term until brain reorganised itself.
  • Split-brain research only useful for investigating hemispheric lateralisation if conducted shortly after split-brain surgery
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8
Q

Outline another limitation of split brain research

A
  • Confounding variables such as drug therapy to treat epilepsy
  • Split-brain patient’s unusual responses may be a result of the drug use rather than separate functioning of hemispheres.
  • Questions credibility
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9
Q

Outline final limitation of split brain research

A
  • Suffers small sample sizes
  • Sperry’s split brain research only involved 11 split brain patients
  • Split brain procedure rarely used for treatments for epilepsy
  • Limits generalisability and replicability of split brain research findings into hemispheric lateralisation
  • Questions appropriateness
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10
Q

What was right hemisphere found to specialise in

A
  • Facial recognition
  • Fusiform area responsible for facial recognition is larger in right hemisphere
  • Inability to recognise familiar faces more often results from damage to right hemisphere
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11
Q

Outline one strength of hemispheric lateralisation

A
  • Supporting evidence from split brain research
  • Describe what you see experiment and its findings
  • Adds credibility
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12
Q

Outline final strength of hemispheric lateralisation

A
  • Further supporting evidence from split brain research
  • Recognition by touch experiment and its findings
  • Adds credibility
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13
Q

Outline one limitation of hemispheric lateralisation

A
  • Replications resulted in inconsistent findings
  • Pinto did the same experiments and found that the split-brain patients had same findings as control group
    -Questions credibility
  • However Pinto did experiments year after split brain surgery so original effects seen in Sperry’s experiments were only short-term until brain reorganised itself.
  • Split-brain research only useful for investigating hemispheric lateralisation if conducted shortly after split-brain surgery
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14
Q

Outline final limitation of hemispheric lateralisation

A
  • Individual differences regarding which function is lateralised to which hemisphere
  • Research found left handed people are more likely to have right hemisphere that specialises in language
  • Lateralisation changes with age, most tasks become less lateralised in adulthood
  • Suggests degree of flexibility in hemispheric lateralisation and questions credibility
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15
Q

Which areas of the brain are contralateral (cause opposite side)

A
  • Motor cortex (Movement)
  • Somatosensory cortex (Touch sensations
  • Visual cortex (Vision)
  • Auditory cortex (Hearing)
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