Name an evaluation point

Question 1

name an evaluation point

Answer 1

not all psychologists agree with the view that cognitive functions are localised within the brain
there is the theory of equipotentiality - Lashley in 1930 who believed that basic motor sensory functions were localised but that higher mental functions were not
He claimed that intact areas of the cortex could take on responsibility for specific cognitive functions following injury
according to this point of view the effects of brain damage would be determined by the extent rather than the location

Question 2

name a second evaluation point

Answer 2

there is supporting evidence for language centres
evidence for the different studies of Broca’s and Wernicke’s area in language and understanding comes from the discovery that damage to these different areas results in a different types of aphasia
expressive aphasia is an impaired ability to produce language
in most cases this is caused by brain damage in the Broce’s area
receptive aphasia is an impaired ability to understand language an inability to extract meaning or spoken written words this is usually a result of damage done to the Wernicke’s area.

Question 3

Name a third evaluation point

Answer 3

there are individual differences
Bavelier in 1997 found considerable variability in patterns of activation across different individuals when reading
They observed activity in the right temporal lobe as well as in the left frontal, temporal and occipital lobes. Other studies have found gender differences in the size of the brain associated with Broce’s language for example Harasty et al 1997 found that woman have a larger Broce’s and wernicke’s areas in the brain

Question 4

Name a 4th evaluation point

Answer 4

language production may not be confined to the Broce’s area
Dronkers et al in 2007 re-examined the preserved brain of two Broce’s patients Tan and Lelong . They used modern high resolution MRI brain scans in order to identify the extent of any lesions in detail.
The MRI findings suggest that other areas of the brain beside Broce’s area could have contributed to the patients reduced speech abilities. This finding is significant because lesions to the Broce’s area can lead to temporary speech production. they do not result in severe disruption of spoken language
suggests that language and cognition are far more complicated than once thought and involve the networks of brain regions rather than being localised to specific areas of the brain