Sperry Flashcards

1
Q

Key theme

A

Regions of brain

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2
Q

What is epilepsy

A

Abnormal electrical impulses discharge within brain disrupting normal brain patterns

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3
Q

Background

A

1940s treatment (Commissurotomy) Split Brain Surgery - corpus callossum cut so impulses couldn’t spread to all of brain

Researched patients to see what each hemisphere does

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4
Q

Define lateralisation of function

A

One side of brain has different role from other

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5
Q

Define corpus callosum

A

fibres that carry majority of info between the 2 hemispheres

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6
Q

Define contralateral control

A

each side of body is controlled by other side of brain

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7
Q

commissurotomy

A

surgical op to sever corpus callosum

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8
Q

Aim

A

To study functions of separated and independent hemispheres

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9
Q

Sample

A

11 epileptic patients who had gone through commissurotomy from a surgery in America
A group of non epileptics to compare to

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10
Q

Advantage of sample

A

Able to test hemispheres independently as they were separated

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11
Q

Weaknesses of sample

A

Small
2 had surgery 4+ years ago so may have recovered
Maybe cause of results was epilepsy

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12
Q

What was the main piece of equipment used called

A

Tachistoscope

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13
Q

Name 4 other pieces of equipment

A

Fixation point
Hand shield
Projector
Objects

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14
Q

Name some controls

A

Symbols all same
Images all same
Objects all same
Fixation point same
1/10 sec per image
Hands out of view
One eye covered

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15
Q

What happened when objects were flashed to the right visual field?

A

Info went to left hemisphere and they said what they saw

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16
Q

What happened when objects were flashed to the left visual field?

A

Info went to the right hemisphere and they drew or pointed to the object with their left hand
Couldn’t say what they saw

17
Q

What happened when different things were shown in the 2 visual fields (apple in LVF and key in RVF)

A

The apple went to the right hemisphere and they could draw this with their left hand
The key went to the left hemisphere and they could say they saw the key
They couldn’t explain why they drew an apple

18
Q

What happened when simple maths problems were shown to the LVF

A

Info went to the right hemisphere and they could write an answer with their left hand

19
Q

What happened when a pic of a nude pinup was shown to the LVF

A

Info went to the right hemisphere and they laughed/were embarrassed but couldn’t say why

20
Q

What happened when objects were felt with the right hand

A

Info went to left hemisphere and they could say what they were holding

21
Q

What happened when objects were felt by the left hand

A

Info went to the right hemisphere and they could point to/find the object with their left hand.
They couldn’t say what they were holding

22
Q

Conclusions about L hemisphere

A

has language ability and controls the right side of body

23
Q

Conclusions about R hemisphere

A

Can only communicate non verbally and controls left side of body

24
Q

What ethics were upheld

A

Confidentiality
Informed consent
Deception - fully aware of research

25
Q

What ethics were broken

A

Protection from harm - confusion may have upset participants

26
Q

Was the study ethnocentric

A

All from America
Roles of each hemisphere should be universal so maybe doesn’t matter

27
Q

Internal reliability

A

Was highly controlled

28
Q

External reliability

A

Only 11 epileptic participants
Not large enough to show consistent effect
All same biologically so doesn’t matter

29
Q

Internal validity

A

Results could be due to epilepsy not the surgery

30
Q

External validity (population)

A

Specific sample so not generalisable
Biology all same so maybe doesn’t matter

31
Q

External validity (ecological)

A

Visual tasks - not realistic to see things for 1/10 second with one eye
Tactile - relatively normal

32
Q

How does this study link to usefulness

A

can identify capabilities for those with brain damage

33
Q

How does this study link to Psychology as a science

A

Is falsifiable and replicable
Data is objective

34
Q

How does this study link to nature/nurture

A

Nature as looks at natural brain abilities not influenced by experiences

35
Q

How does this study link to reduction/holism

A

Reductionist as only takes into consideration biological explanations of behaviour