lateralisation

Question 1

what is lateralisation

Answer 1

the idea that two halves of the brain are functionally different and that each hemisphere has functional specialisations eg left for language and right excels in visual and motor tasks

Question 2

how are the 2 hemispheres connected

Answer 2

nerve fibres called corpus callosum which facilitaes communication between the 2

Question 3

hemispheric lateralisation

Answer 3

the idea that the two halves (hemispheres) are functionallu different and certain mental processes and behaviours are mainly controlled by one hemisphere rather than the other

Question 4

split brain research deffinition

Answer 4

a series of studies which began in the 1960s (still ongoing) involving epileptic patients who had experienced surgical separation of the hemispheres of the brain. this allowed researchers to investigate the extent to which brain function is lateralised

Question 5

example of split brain study

Answer 5

sperrys 1968

• all participants had undergone commussurotomy brain surgery
• where corpus callosum and other tissues which connect the 2 hemispheres had been cut down to seperate the hemispheres
• so their communcation between hemispheres was down
• allowed him to see the extent to see what functions were lateralised

Question 6

what did sperry do (procedure)

Answer 6

image or word was projected to either right visual field-

• then same or diff image or word to the left visual field
• allowed him to see where laterlisation

Question 7

findings

Answer 7

• inability to describe objects in left visual field because of lack of language in the right hemisphere (couldnt communicate)
• recognition by touch- able to select item in grab a bag
• composite words (two words simultaeniously)
• matching faces (right was dominant in recognising faces, left dominated verbal description)