split brain research Flashcards
what happens during a split brain operation
sever the connections between right and left hemispheres
mainly corpus callosum
why is a split brain operation done
to reduce epilepsy
what happens during an epileptic seizure
the brain experiences excessive electrical activity which travel from 1 hemisphere to another
how does a split brain operation reduce epileptic fits
the connections are cut “splitting” brain into 2 halves
what was the procedure of Sperry’s research
11 people who had a split brain operation
who were studied using a special set up in which an image is projected to a person’s right visual field and a same/different image was projected to left visual field
what would happen in a normal brain in terms of vision
corpus callosum would share information between the 2 hemispheres giving a complete picture of visual field
what would happen in someone who had a split brain operation in terms of vision
presenting an image to 1 hemisphere of a split brain participant meant image couldn’t conveyed from that hemisphere to other
what were the findings of Sperry’s research
the picture was shown to a participant’s right visual field they could describe what we seen unable to do this if picture was shown to left visual field but said there was nothing there
the connections between right hemisphere to language centres in left hemisphere aren’t there in split brain participants so messages can’t pass
participants could select matching object out of sight using left hand (linked to right hemisphere)
what happened in a split brain participants if a pinup pcutre was shown to LVF
if a pinup picture was shown to LVF there was an emotional reaction but participants reported seeing nothing or flashes of light
what was the conclusion of Sperry’s research
observations show how certain functions are lateralised in brain and support that left hemisphere is verbal and right hemisphere is “silent” but emotional
