Sperry Flashcards
Aim of sperry
To investigate the effects of hemisphere disconnection and to show each hemisphere has different functions
Sperry participants
11 patients
who had undergone hemisphere disconnection (severing corpus callousness) surgery for epilepsy
Sperry procedure
Ps in front of a projector screen and focused on a fixation point
Visual stimuli was presented too quick for other hemisphere to get the info
•tachistoscope (what even is that)
Grab bag below screen
Visual stimuli was presented to one visual field (right hemisphere tests)
Sperry result (naked lady😜)
Naked lady was presented to left visual field
Ps asked what they saw
Ps giggled and blushed but could not say why
= qualitative data
Additionally ppts could only describe information if it was presented to rvf, but could point to a matching image if displayed in lvf - If different figures were presented simultaneously to different visual field, for example ‘$’ sign to the left visual field and ‘?’ to the right visual field, the participant could draw the ‘$’ sign with his left hand but reported that he had seen a ‘?’.
Objects placed in the right hand (left hemisphere) could be described in speech or writing (with the right hand). If the same objects were placed in the left hand (right hemisphere) participants could only make wild guesses and often seemed unaware they were holding anything.
Sperry protection issue?
Showed a naked lady which is a protection issue
Sperry sample problem ?
Small
Sperry type of experiment
Quasi / lab
Independent measures design
Some argue it’s a small collection of case studies as sample size is so so tiny
Sperry validity issue
Low ecological validity
Strength of Sperry
Case study - can get in depth results, for example visual and tactile tests were run
Ethics - researchers didn’t have to manipulate IV as it was a quasi
Weakness of spermy
Quasi - cause and effect difficult to establish
Ecological validity - lab setting, stimulus selectively presented to 1 visual field while eye patch worn on other
