Hemispheric Lateralisation (A03)

Question 1

Strengths

Answer 1

• Makes evolutionary sense
  Lateralisation increases our ability to multi-task which would have been adaptive for hunter-gatherers. This is supported by research in chickens. Rogers et al. (2004) found that lateralisation was associated with an enhanced ability to perform two tasks at once (finding food and watching for predators).

Question 2

Limitations

Answer 2

• Differences between hemispheres are overstated
  Turk et al. (2002) found that a patient with damage in the left hemisphere developed the capacity to speak using the right hemisphere. This suggests that lateralisation is not fixed and the brain is able to adapt.