Split-brain Research Into Hemispheric Lateralisation Flashcards
What is hemispheric lateralisation?
The ability to produce and understand language is controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain
What did Sperry et al want to know?
If specialised areas for language in one hemisphere is the case for other functions of the brain
What procedure has Sperry et al’s RPS undergone?
A commissurotony where the corpus callosum and other tissue that connect the two hemispheres were cut through the middle to control seizures
What did Sperry’s study allow him to see?
To which extent the two hemispheres were specialised and whether tasks are performed independently or together
What was presented to RPS?
An image or a word in the right visual field
What did presenting an image to RPS in one hemisphere mean?
Information could not be conveyed from that hemisphere to another
What happened when an object was shown to a patients right visual field?
They could easily describe it
What happened if the image was shown to the left visual field?
They stated there was no object present - because language centre is in right hemisphere
What were patients able to do even though they couldn’t attach verbal labels to objects?
Select a matching group from a grab bag of different objects using their left hand
What occurred with composite words?(words presented)
Two words were presented at the same time on either side of the visual field- patient would write with their left hand the word ‘key’ and say the word ring
What happened when asked to match the face from a series of other places?
The picture processed by the right hemisphere was constantly selected whilst the picture presented to the left was ignored
