maguire Flashcards
1
Q
data
A
- quantitative data was collexted due to the lab setting. the use of scans enabkes to use for MRI scanning suits and allows for precise measurement of data.
- both the VBM and pixel counting analysis provided quantitative data about the volume of grey matter and volume of hippocampus.
- without quantitative data, statisticak analysis of the differences between the 2 grouos or anasys of the correlation between VBM measurements and time spent as a taxi driver would have been impossible to establish
- it enables the reliability and validity of the research to be established
1
Q
research methods
A
- study was **highly controlled lab experiment **
- quasi design as the IV was naturally occuring- the participants were either taxi drivers or not and wasnt manipulated by the experimenter
- quasi experiment could have been affected by subject variables however controls were put into place to ensure that the taxi drivers and the non-taxi driving controls were similar to eachother
- physiological methods of measurements such as **brain-imaging techniques **are the methods used for this study but this is costly and time consuming
- correlation analysis was used to help establish a relationship between volume of grey matter in the hippocamus and the time spent as a taxi driver that was the cause of the data for the hippocampal volume.
2
Q
ethics that were upheld
A
- participants were not deceieved
- informed consent was gained
- they had the right to withdraw
3
Q
how were they matched
A
- matching of the gender, handedness, physical health, age.
4
Q
validity
A
- high design validity: matching of the participants for the pixel counting gave a high level of control over the study
- high concurrent validity: the volume differences in the hippocampus were established by 2 concurrently valid independent measures (VBM and pixel counting)
- the authors had theorised that the hippocampal changes occurred because of being a taxi driver and not because people who already possessed differences in their hippocmpi woukd choose to become taxi drivers . the validity of this theory is supported by correlational evidence which showed that the changes in hippocampal cvolume correlated with time spent as a taxi driver
- low ecological validity: being scanned in an MRI scanner is not something that a person would have to do everyday
5
Q
reliability
A
- high internal reliability: highly controlled lab experiment that collected quantitative data and this could be repeated and tested to see if it had test-retest reliability
- low external reliability: small sample to establish consistent effects (16 taxi drivers)
6
Q
sample
A
- gender bias in the sample as they were all men and we cannot assume that female and male brains operate similarly in terms of spatial memory
7
Q
ethnocentricsm
A
- not ethnocentric: brain plasticity in the hippocampus in response to the environment is affected by the anatomy and physiognomy of our brain, it is investigating species-specific behaviour
8
Q
nurture
nature/nurture
A
- shows how nurture in the form of the environmental demands placed upon the spatial memory of london taxi drivers lef to brain plasticity in their hippocampi
- their spatial knowledge improved with experience and as their hippocampi changed to accommodate the demands placed on their spatial memory
9
Q
usefulness
A
- it is useful in that it furthers our understanding of how the bran works and provides evidence about the plasticity of the brain
- useful for the rehabilitation of individuals who have suffered brain damage as they might be assisted if it was clear which areas of the bran are capable of adaptation and what environmental cues might stimuate them to change
10
Q
how can maguire link to the biological area
A
- it is investigating neuroplasticity in the brains of adult human subjects
- it demonstrated the plasticity of the hippocampi in london taxi drivers.
- the study also used an MRI scanner to gather data and this gives biological data
- in this case a structural MRI scanner was used to measure grey matter volume in the hippocampi of the participants
11
Q
key theme of maguire
A
brain plasticity
12
Q
how does maguire link to the key theme
A
- demonstrated that the fully developed adult human brain could change and adapt to the environmental demands placed upon it
- the study showed brain plasticity in the hippocamoi of taxi drivers in london on ‘The Knowledge’ with the hippocampi reducing in volume in the anterior hippocampus and increasing in volume in the posterior hippocampus with time spent as a black cab london taxi driver
13
Q
how does maguire change our understanding of the key theme
A
- it adds to blakemore and coopers study in confirming that brain plasticity can occur but this time in humans rather than cats and in the hippocampus rathee than in visual neurones
14
Q
how does maguire change our understanding on social, individual and cultural diversity
A
individual diversity: new technology has enabled us to work not only with animals but also with humans when investigating the anatomy of the brain.
- brain imaging techniques such as MRI scans allow research to be carried out to study the live and active human brain and to identify inividual differences in participants brains that may help to explain individual diversity
15
Q
how is maguire similar to blakemore and cooper
A
- the studies both included highly controlled lab experiments
- the researchers aimed to gather objective evidence. maguire achieved this by using MRI scans whereas blakemore and cooper took neurophysiological measures of visual neurones of the kittens
- the studies gathered quantitative data
- the studies both constitute examples of brain plasticity
- both were conducted ethically
16
Q
how is maguire different to blakemore and cooper
A
- maguires study was on the human brain whereas blakemore and cooper were studying the brain of cats
- maguires study was a snapshot study whereas the study by blakemore and cooper was a longnitudinal design
- maguire were studying the hippocampus whereas blakemore and cooper were studying visual neurones
