Maguire et al study

Question 1

What are the three mechanisms of brain plasticity

Answer 1

Synapse strengthing
Rewiring
Neural unmasking

Question 2

Question 3. Explain how neuronal unmasking contributes to learning.

Answer 2

Neuronal unmasking is when silent synapses become active and so reveal hidden neuronal connections between brain regions. These hidden connections reactivate to help our brain to change and adapt to new experiences, which contributes to learning.

Question 3

Question 4. Which of the following statements about synapse strengthening are correct?

Answer 3

ASynapse strengthening is when synapses between two neurons become stronger, making the transmission of nerve impulses between the neurons more likely.

CSynapse strengthening causes an increase in the number of nerve impulses between neurons.

ESynapse strengthening occurs due to increased amounts of neurotransmitters crossing the synapse.

FSynapse strengthening occurs due to an increased amount of post-synaptic receptors.

Question 4

What type of study was Maguire’s?

Answer 4

CQuasi experiment

Question 5

What is the term for when new synapses are formed between two neurons that weren’t previously connected via a synapse?

Answer 5

DRewiring

Question 6

Maguire found that as time spent as a taxi driver increased, the size of a participants hippocampus also increased. What type of correlation does this describe?

Answer 6

BA positive correlation

Question 7

Maguire found that as time spent as a taxi driver increased, the size of a participants hippocampus also increased. What type of correlation does this describe?

Answer 7

BA positive correlation

Question 8

Which of the following statements are true about the method of Maguire’s study?

Answer 8

HMaguire compared the brains of London taxi drivers to taxi drivers not from London.

FMaguire compared the brains of London taxi drivers to non-taxi drivers.

DMaguire performed a quasi experiment.

AMaguire took images brains in an MRI scanner to investigate brain plasticity.

Question 9

Which of the following statements are true about the findings of Maguire’s study?

Answer 9

FMaguire found that taxi drivers have an increased brain volume in the hippocampus.

CMaguire concluded that the experience of being a taxi driver led to changes in the brain, like rewiring.
AMaguire found a positive correlation between the amount of time participants had spent as a taxi driver and the size of their hippocampus.

Question 10

Maguire’s study was a ______ experiment. This meant that she couldn’t assign her participants to the experimental group or control group; the participants already belonged to one group or the other.

Answer 10

Maguire’s study was a quasi experiment. This meant that she couldn’t assign her participants to the experimental group or control group; the participants already belonged to one group or the other.

Question 11

If a study uses a quasi experiment, which feature is not possible?

Answer 11

DAllocating randomly to groups.

Question 12

Because Maguire couldn’t perform random allocation, she couldn’t control…

Answer 12

CParticipant variables

Question 13

Which of the following was true in Maguire’s quasi experiment?

Answer 13

CMaguire couldn’t directly manipulate the independent variable; it was already a personal characteristic of the participants.

Question 14

Which of the following are limitations of Maguire’s taxi driving study?

Answer 14

AMaguire didn’t use random allocation, because she couldn’t directly manipulate the independent variable.
CMaguire couldn’t establish a cause and effect relationship, because she couldn’t directly manipulate the independent variable.

EMaguire couldn’t control the participant variables, because the study was a quasi experiment.

Question 15

Question 1. Which of the following statements are correct about the method used in Maguire’s study?

Answer 15

FThe independent variable was the participant’s job, which was naturally occuring.

GThe dependent variable was the volume of the hippocampus.

BThe study was a quasi experiment.

Question 16

Question 3. Which of the following statements about the limitations of Maguire’s study are correct?

Answer 16

BMaguire’s study was a quasi experiment so she couldn’t randomly allocate participants to either the experimental or the control group.

CMaguire’s study was a quasi experiment so she couldn’t control the participant variables.

DMaguire couldn’t directly manipulate the independent variable so she couldn’t use random allocation.
FSince there was no direct manipulation of the independent variable, Maguire couldn’t establish a cause and effect relationship between being a taxi driver and having a larger hippocampus.

Question 17

Question 4. Explain why participant variables may have been a problem in Maguire’s study.

Answer 17

Maguire’s study was a quasi experiment, which means that the participants were assigned to their groups based on their jobs, rather than any manipulation created by Maguire. This could be a problem, because there may be other factors (participant variables) related to being a taxi driver that could cause the difference in hippocampal volume, such as interest in talking to people, or a preference for driving.