Maguire (2000)

Question 1

What brain region does Maguire look at in taxi drivers ?

Answer 1

The hippocampus.

Question 2

What is the hippocampus ?

Answer 2

Plays an important role in memory. It is found in each hemisphere of the brain and plays a key role in spatial memory and navigation.

Question 3

How does hippocampal volume change in animals according to Maguire ?

Answer 3

-Animals with larger territory have increased hippocampal volume.
-Small mammals that are involved in food storage have increased hippocampal volume.
-Racing pigeons have increased hippocampal volume to be able to fly home.

Question 4

What test do black cab drivers have to pass ?

Answer 4

Required to pass the knowledge test of street and landmarks in London.
It is a written test on 80 routes and interviewed on 240 routes randomly.

Question 5

Aim of Maguire

Answer 5

To investigate role of hippocampus in navigational and spatial skills and brain plasticity when exposed to extensive navigational experience in London taxi drivers.

Question 6

What was the correlational aim in Maguire ?

Answer 6

Correlation between length of taxi driving experience and measure of grey matter volume.

Question 7

Sample of Maguire

Answer 7

16 licensed London taxi drivers, who were all right handed aged between 32-62.
All healthy in terms of medically, physiologically and neurologically.

Question 8

What was the comparison group of Maguire ?

Answer 8

50 male control ppts, who were also right handed aged 32-62, from MRI scan database.

Question 9

What is experimental design of Maguire ?

Answer 9

Independent measures design although ppts were matched with control group.

Question 10

What is the experimental method of Maguire ?

Answer 10

Quasi experiment with a correlation.

Question 11

IV’s of Maguire

Answer 11

Taxi driver and non-taxi driver.

Question 12

DV of Maguire

Answer 12

Hippocampal volume.

Question 13

Procedure of VBM in Maguire

Answer 13

Voxel-based morphometry = Identifies differences in density of grey matter in different parts of the brain.

Question 14

Procedure of pixel counting in Maguire

Answer 14

Pixel count = Pixels were counted on photographic slices. The person counting pixels were blind (single blind). Pixels were counted for anterior and posterior body of hippocampus.

Question 15

Findings of Maguire

Answer 15

-Taxi drivers have increased grey matter in right posterior hippocampus.
-Non taxi drivers have increases grey matter in anterior hippocampus.

Question 16

Conclusion of Maguire

Answer 16

As experience increases, grey matter increases. There is a positive correlation for volume of posterior hippocampus and length of experience of being a taxi driver.