Lesson 8 - Split Brain Research

Question 1

Split Brain Research

Answer 1

Studies brain lateralisation as it shows what function is dominant for what hemisphere.

Question 2

Sperry & Gazzaniga

Answer 2

First people to study split brain research. They sent visual information to one hemisphere at a time to study hemispheric lateralisation. Allowing them to find out how both hemispheres processed information without communication.

Question 3

Hemispheric Lateralisation

Answer 3

The idea that both hemispheres are functionally different and that certain mental processes and behaviors are mainly controlled by one hemisphere rather than the other.

Question 4

Sperry & Gazzaniga Aim

Answer 4

To study the extent to which hemispheres are specialised for functions.

Question 5

Sperry & Gazzaniga Method

Answer 5

An image/word was projected into the left/right visual field but the hemispheres can’t communicate because of the lack of corpus callosum.

Question 6

The 3 Tasks

Answer 6

Describe What You See
Tactile Test
Drawing Task

Question 7

Tactile Test

Answer 7

An object was placed in the right/left hand and they had to describe what they felt.

Question 8

Findings From Describe What You See Task

Answer 8

When the picture was presented in right field they could easily describe showing language production in the left. However, when in the left they couldn’t describe what they saw.

Question 9

Findings From Tactile Test

Answer 9

Object in right hand could be described but when in the left hand they couldn’t but they could select an object similar to the test object.

Question 10

Findings From Drawing Task

Answer 10

When in RVF, the left hand would draw much clearer than right showing superiority in the right for motor tasks Even when in LVF, patients would draw clearer with their left hand showing that superiority boyyyy.

Question 11

Sperry & Gazzaniga Conclusion

Answer 11

The left hemisphere is dominant for speech and language production whilst the right is dominant for visual-motor tasks.

Question 12

Split Brain Research Strengths

Answer 12

• Supports Hemispheric Lateralisation
• Sperry And Gazzaniga

Question 13

Supports Hemispheric Lateralisation (+)

Answer 13

Agrees with different parts being responsible for different shit e.g. left for speech and right for visual motor. The right is also a holistic processor whilst the left breaks it down.

Question 14

Sperry And Gazzaniga (+)

Answer 14

Provide research support for split-brain research.

Question 15

Split Brain Research Weaknesses

Answer 15

Organisation Support
Lack Of Generalisation
No More Studies

Question 16

Organisation Support (-)

Answer 16

Sperry and Gazzaniga don’t show that the brain is organised into different areas with sections for certain tasks.

Question 17

Lack Of Generalisation (-)

Answer 17

Sperry only studied 10-15 patients and there was high variance between them (handedness, gender and age), also in some cases the corpus callosum was only partially cut.

Question 18

No More Studies (-)

Answer 18

Split brain research is now rarely carried out because technology allows for advanced brains scans, making this irrelevant.