plasticity and functional recovery eval

Question 1

S: maguire scientific procedure

Answer 1

ID: a strength of research into plasticity and functional recovery is that it has controlled scientific methodology
Q: Maguire used matched pairs design in the procedure
EX: for example, taxi drivers matched on age and right-handedness with a non-taxi driver from the control group, used standardised procedures and controlled variables.
AN: therefore, this reduces order effects and individual differences so accurate/valid cause and effect relationship can be established and leads to objective, quantitative data (can analyse and compare easily)

Question 2

W: maguire sample androcentric

Answer 2

ID: however, a limitation of Maguire’s research is that the sample used is androcentric
Q: this is because it doesn’t include women or left- handed people
EX: there are likely to be female/left handed london taxi drivers and female navigational ability may be different to males, meaning conclusions can’t be generalised to total population and can’t generalise to all cultures (culture bias/imposed etic)
AN: therefore, this is a limitation as valid conclusions about structural differences can’t be generalised to the wider population.
ELAB: however, it does give a general idea of how brain plasticity works in humans.

Question 3

S: research support (gabby giffords)

Answer 3

ID: a strength of functional recovery is that there is research support
Q: this comes from gabby giffords case study (2011)
EX: for example, she was shot in left hemisphere and placed in coma so brain could recover. within months and some rehabilitation, she could walk and regained control of left arm/leg, could read, understand and speak short phrases and now has some control over right arm/leg.
the right side of her body is controlled by the left hemisphere, which was damaged, so should be impossible.
AN: therefore, this is a strength as it provides support for functional recovery, increasing reliability of theories