Section A Flashcards
The Maguire study on taxi drivers used MRI scans.
a) Explain what an MRI scan measured in this study. [2]
b) Outline one piece of evidence that suggests the brains of taxi drivers are different from the brains of non-taxi drivers. [2]
a)
b) One piece of evidence that suggests the brains of taxi-drivers are different from the brains of non-taxi drivers is that taxi drivers had a larger volume of grey matter in the right posterior hippocampus.
The Maguire study on taxi drivers used MRI scans. Explain what an MRI scan measured in this study. [2]
/
The Maguire study on taxi drivers used MRI scans. Outline one piece of evidence that suggests the brains of taxi drivers are different from the brains of non-taxi drivers. [2]
One piece of evidence that suggests the brains of taxi-drivers are different from the brains of non-taxi drivers is that taxi drivers had a larger volume of grey matter in the right posterior hippocampus.
a) Describe the sample used in the study by Maguire. [2]
b) Suggest one application of the findings from the study of taxi driver’s brains by Maguire. [2]
a) The sample was made up of 16 taxi drivers who had all passed complicated tests (called ‘the knowledge’) to be able to drive black cabs around complex routes in London, who all had to have had at least 18 months of experience following passing of ‘the knowledge’ test. The taxi drivers were all right-handed males, between the ages of 32 and 62, giving a mean age of 44.
b) /
Describe the sample used in the study by Maguire. [2]
The sample was made up of 16 taxi drivers who had all passed complicated tests (called ‘the knowledge’) to be able to drive black cabs around complex routes in London, who all had to have had at least 18 months of experience following passing of ‘the knowledge’ test. The taxi drivers were all right-handed males, between the ages of 32 and 62, giving a mean age of 44.
Suggest one application of the findings from the study of taxi driver’s brains by Maguire. [2]
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Outline one control that was used in the study on brain scanning by Maguire and explain why it was important to use this control. [2]
One control is that all drivers were right handed, so that their hand preference could not affect which side of their hippocampus would have had a higher volume of grey matter.
In the Maguire study, they used MRI scans to gather data. Give one strength and one weakness of using MRI scans in this study. [4]
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a) Explain why Maguire used taxi drivers in their study of spatial memory. [2] b) Identify two criteria used to select the taxi drivers as participants in this study. [2]
a) Maguire used taxi drivers in her study about spatial memory because they not only have to memorise complicated routes around the city and the quickest ways to get to and from places, but also awareness of traffic and road codes all mean that daily, taxi drivers use memory capacity much more frequently than non-taxi drivers. b) Two criteria to select the taxi drivers was that they had to have passed ‘the knowledge’ test, and that they had to have been a licensed London taxi driver for at least 18 months.
Explain why Maguire used taxi drivers in their study of spatial memory. [2]
Maguire used taxi drivers in her study about spatial memory because they not only have to memorise complicated routes around the city and the quickest ways to get to and from places, but also awareness of traffic and road codes all mean that daily, taxi drivers use memory capacity much more frequently than non-taxi drivers.
Identify two criteria used to select the taxi drivers as participants in the Maguire study. [2]
Two criteria to select the taxi drivers was that they had to have passed ‘the knowledge’ test, and that they had to have been a licensed London taxi driver for at least 18 months.
The study by Maguire is referred to as a quasi experiment. Explain what this means in relation to this study. [2]
A quasi experiment means the independent variable is naturally occurring and is not manipulated by the researchers, but by nature. In this study, the independent variable was whether you were a taxi driver or not, which is a quality in these people that they researchers played no part in, thus making it a quasi experiment.
a) From the study by Dement and Kletiman, give two measures that the researchers made while their subjects were sleeping. [2] b) What did their measurements tell them about the pattern of normal sleep? [2]
a) The measures that the researchers made were observed through an EEG machine. These measures were to observe brain activity through electrical signals on the machine, and to directly observe both the direction and the amount of eye movement during participant’s sleep. b) Their measurements told them that REM sleep would occur every 92 minutes of sleep after the first stage of sleep, and would last for 20 minutes.
From the study by Dement and Kletiman, give two measures that the researchers made while their subjects were sleeping. [2]
The measures that the researchers made were observed through an EEG machine. These measures were to observe brain activity through electrical signals on the machine, and to directly observe both the direction and the amount of eye movement during participant’s sleep.
What did Dement and Kletiman’s measurements while thier subjects were sleeping tell them about the pattern of normal sleep? [2]
Their measurements told them that REM sleep would occur every 92 minutes of sleep after the first stage of sleep, and would last for 20 minutes.
