Maguire Et Al

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

Blakemore and cooper
Structural brain plasticity
Hippocampi of small animals grows when navigating more
Used London taxi drivers who had to learn “the knowledge”

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

To investigate the difference in volume in the hippocampus of London taxi drivers compared to non-taxi drives

Question 3

Sample

Answer 3

16 male taxi drivers
All right handed
Mean age 44

Question 4

Research method

Answer 4

Quasi exp
Matches pairs- age,handedness

Question 5

Procedure

Answer 5

Taxi drivers brain scanned in mri
Scans analysed using vbm to identify grey matter
Pixel counting compared volumes of regions of the brains

Question 6

Apparatus

Answer 6

MRI, vbm,pixel counting

Question 7

Results

Answer 7

Taxi drivers had significantly increased grey matter volume in the right and left posterior hippocampi

Question 8

Conclusion

Answer 8

Results find evidence of structural brain plasticity

Question 9

Strengths

Answer 9

High ext rel- quant data
Psych as a science- scientific equipment
High int val- controls (blind technique)

Question 10

Weaknesses

Answer 10

Sample bias- androcentric
Low pop val- not general population
Low eco val