Lateralisation and split brain research

Question 1

hemispheric lateralisation

Answer 1

refers to the fact that some mental processes in the brain are mainly specialised to either the left or right hemisphere

Question 2

split-brain research

Answer 2

research that studies individuals who have been subjected to the surgical separation of the two hemispheres of the brain as a result of severing the corpus callosum

Question 3

split-brain patients

Answer 3

• treated for severe epilepsy by severing the corpus callosum
• allows investigation of the two hemispheres

Question 4

corpus callosum

Answer 4

bundle of nerve fibres which joins the two halves of the brain

Question 5

the left hemisphere

Answer 5

• language centre of the brain
• controls the right hand
• receives information from the right visual field

Question 6

the right hemisphere

Answer 6

• focuses on visuo-spatial tasks
• controls the left hand
• receives info from the left visual field

Question 7

sperry

Answer 7

conducted a quasi experiment to demonstrate that the two hemispheres were specialised for certain functions and could perform tasks independently of one another

Question 8

describng what they see

Answer 8

LVF: they couldnt describe it, but could draw it
RVF: they could easily describe the picture shown to their RVF

Question 9

recognition by touch

Answer 9

• if shown an object to the LVF
• could select the object with LEFT hand (controlled by RH)
• couldnt say anything about the object
• rejected if target object is picked up by right hand

Question 10

composite words

Answer 10

• e.g. key + ring
• say ring as processed by the left hemisphere and pick up key with left hand as processed in right hemisphere

Question 11

face recognition

Answer 11

• half woman half man
• would say they saw a man as processed by LH
• select image of a woman as processed by the RH