Biological Area Flashcards by Eden Johnson

Strengths and weaknesses of biological area

Strengths 
- highly controlled (internal validity) 
- technical equipment 
- objective 
Weaknesses
- ecological validity 
- reductionist

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Sperry aim

Study functions of independent hemispheres

Investigate effect of deconnecting the hemispheres

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Sperry research methods

Quasi experiment

IV of having a split brain was naturally occurring

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Sperry sample

11 patients who had undergone plot brain surgery

From surgery in USA (opportunity)

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Sperry sample strengths and weaknesses

Weaknesses 
Small 
2 had undergone surgery 4/5 years ago so brain may have adapted since 
Epilepsy may cause results NOT surgery 
Strengths 
Separate hemispheres 
No other choice than opportunity

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Sperry equipment

Tachistoscope 
Projector 
Fix action point 
Hand shield 
Objects on table

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Sperry controls

Visual 
- one eye covered 
- stimuli presented 1/10th of a second 
- asked verbally 
Tactile
- hands shielded from view 
- same task of picking up object and saying what it was 
- symbols, images, objects, fixation point, equipment

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Overall results of Sperry

LH/RVF: responsible for language

RH/LVF: can communicate non-verbally but will not report seeing material verbally

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Sperry ethics

Uphold 
Consent 
Deception 
Withdrawal 
Break 
Protection from harm 
Confidentiality

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Sperry reliability

Internal:
Controlled, yes
External:
Not large enough to establish consistent effect, 11

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Validity: Sperry

Internal, construct:
May not have been testing hemispheres, brain may have adapted since surgery
External, population:
Can be generalised to people with split brain surgery
External, ecological:
Visual tasks true to life, tactile not

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Sperry ethnocentrism

USA specific area of surgery

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Sperry links to debates

Nature/nurture
Reductionism/holding
Scientific/non scientific

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Blakemore and Cooper aims

Investigate how being raised in a visually restrictive environment would affect the visual brain development of cats

Compare behavioural consequences
Compare neurophysiological effect in visual cortex

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B & C research methods

Lab experiment
Independent measures
IV- stripes
Controlled environment- stripes, light exposure

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B & C sample

2 kittens

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B & C Procedure

First 2 weeks: 
- completely dark room
Two weeks- five months: 
- cylinder for 5 hours everyday 
- wore large black collar so couldn’t see their body 
After five months: 
- well lit room with furniture 
- behaviour observed

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B & C controls

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Time in conditions 
Age 
Black collar 
Light exposure 
Stripes or horizontal lines

B & C initial behavioural results

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clumsy
visual deficits
navigate using touch
normal pupillary reflexes
no visual placing
deficits disappeared after 10 hours-

B & C behavioural results after 10 hours

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now have visual placing
startle reflex came back
still clumsy

B & C behavioural results horizontal v vertical

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Only startle with Perspex sheet with same lines exposed to when younger

Only chased a rod when same direction as lines exposed to when younger

Permanent

B & C neurophysiological results

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Visual neutron optimal orientation

Neurons optimal based on line direction

B & C conclusions

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Difference in kittens suggests neurons can change their preferred orientation according to the stimulation they receive, matching the ability of their brain to respond to the features in its visual input

B & C ethical upheld

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Benefits can outweigh cost

Reduced harm- only used 2 kittens, smaller sample

B & C ethical issues

Pain & distress not minimised Benefits may not outweigh costs- some permanent damage and information learned from this is not very applicable or useful

B & C reliability

Internal: Lots of controls so is standardised and replicable External: 2 cats not able to suggest consistent effect Biology is universal so may not need larger sample

B & C validity

Internal: construct Scientific results that show biological differences, can be sure to measure plasticity Internal: concurrent Can help to predict future behaviour External: ecological Very unlike any real life situation, not useful External: population Can only be generalised to certain species

B & C ethnocentrism

Culture isn’t relevant as it was done from birth

B & C link to debates

``` Nature/nurture Ethical considerations Psychology as a science Individual- situational Usefulness of research ```

Sperry procedure

Visual task: Sat down 1 eye covered, stare at fixation point, image flashed 1/10 second Asked to either name, draw or pick up object Tactile: Sat down hands shielded from view, pick up object 1 hand Asked to either: name, point at or pick up object again

Sperry conclusion

Each side has own consciousness | Lateralisation of function

Maguire aims

- investigate differences in the brain (hippocampus) of London Taxi Drivers - investigate function of hippocampus in spatial memory - investigate plasticity of brain

Maguire research method

Quasi | Taxi driver IV naturally occurring

Maguire experimental design

Independent measures (matched groups

Maguire sample

``` 32 altogether (all male, all aged 32-62, all right handed) Taxi drivers: - 16 males - licensed for at least 18 months - all healthy Control group: - 16 ```

Maguire procedure

MRI scans converted into a picture where they measured volume of grey matter in hippocampus in two ways 1. Voxel based morphometry - objective 3D measure of density calculated by a computer 2. Pixel counting - 2D manual technique added up pictures from each slide (Made unaware of which were taxi drivers)

Maguire controls

Sample (age, gender, right handed)

Maguire results

VBM analysis - taxi drivers had increased grey matter volume on left and right side of posterior hippocampus but decreased in grey matter volume on anterior Pixel counting found no difference

Findings from correlations analysis: if relationship between time as taxi driver and hippocampal volume

Length of time and volume of hippocampus had positive correlation with right posterior Negative correlation with right anterior hippocampus

Maguire conclusion

Regional differences in brain structures of taxi drivers | Found brain plasticity- brain changes in response to demands of being a driver

Maguire anterior vs posterior functioning

Posterior is involved with previously learned material | Anterior is involved with new kearning

Maguire left and right hippocampus functioning

``` Right= mental maps Left= memories and events ```

Maguire validity

``` Internal: - EV such as gender and health controlled, MRI means no demand characteristics, no researcher bias as not told which were taxi drivers - concurrent (2 tests) External: - MRI not true to life - population (limited range in sample) ```

Biological Area Flashcards

(43 cards)