Sperry Flashcards
What are the two hemispheres of the brain?
The brain has a right and left hemisphere.
Which hemisphere controls most of the activity on the left side of the body?
The right hemisphere.
Which hemisphere controls most of the activity on the right side of the body?
The left hemisphere.
If you are right-handed, which hemisphere is typically dominant?
The left hemisphere.
Which hemisphere is dominant for language processing?
The left hemisphere.
Which hemisphere is associated with spatial awareness and emotion?
The right hemisphere.
How are visual inputs from the left visual fields processed?
They are processed in the right hemisphere.
How are visual inputs from the right visual fields processed?
They are processed in the left hemisphere.
What is the purpose of Sperry’s research with split-brain patients?
To find out what happens when the two hemispheres cannot communicate with each other.
What is the split-brain procedure?
It involves cutting the corpus callosum, the largest bundle of nerves connecting the two hemispheres.
What is the operation called that involves cutting the corpus callosum?
Commissurotomy
What were Sperry’s 3 experimental questions?
1- What happens when the two halves of the brain are disconnected? 2- do the hemisphere perform different functions? 3- does each hemisphere have its own memories, perceptions and concepts
What was the method of this study?
Laboratory experiment; multiple trails with each participant
What is the sample size of the study on people with severe epileptic seizures?
11 people
What condition did the 11 people in the sample suffer from?
Severe epileptic seizures that could not be controlled by drugs
What surgical procedure was performed to help the epilepsy of the sample group?
Commissurotomy
What was the procedure for the participant’s vision test?
The participant covered one eye and looked at a fixed point in the center of a projection screen.
How were pictures presented to the participant?
Pictures were projected onto the left or right of the screen at a very high speed - one picture every 0.1 second.
What was the purpose of the gap below the screen?
The gap allowed the participant to reach objects without being able to see their hands.
What happens when a picture is shown to the left visual field?
The participant did not recognize it when the same picture appeared in the right visual field.
What can participants do when visual material appears in the right visual field?
They can describe it in speech and writing.
What can a patient identify with their left hand when visual material appears in the left visual field?
The patient can identify the same material with their left hand but not their right.
What do participants report when visual material is presented to the left visual field?
They consistently report seeing nothing or just a flash of light to their left.
What can participants do with their left hand when visual material is presented to the left visual field?
They can point to a matching object or picture with their left hand.
What did participants draw when two different objects were displayed, but they were asked to draw what they saw?
They drew what was on the left half of the screen (case) but claimed to have drawn what was on the right half (key).
What can participants do when objects are placed in their right hand for identification by touch?
They can describe the object in speech and writing.
What happens when objects are placed in the left hand for identification by touch?
Participants make wild guesses and seem unaware of the object in their hand.
What happens when the hemispheres of the brain are disconnected?
One half of the brain does not know what the other half is doing.
What is the specialization of the left hemisphere in right-handed people?
The left hemisphere is specialized for speech, writing, and the expression of language.
What can the left hemisphere communicate?
It can communicate the visual experience of the right visual field and about the experiences of the right half of the body.
What is the capability of the right hemisphere regarding speech and writing?
The right hemisphere is mute and cannot speak or write.
What condition affects the right hemisphere’s ability to communicate verbally?
Aphasia and agraphia.
How can the right hemisphere show mental processes?
It can show non-verbally that mental processes are present in the left visual field and the left half of the body.
