BIOPSYCHOLOGY - Discuss research into hemispheric lateralisation (16)

Discuss research into hemispheric lateralisation (16)

Hemispheric lateralisation is the idea that the left and right parts of the brain control different functions. For example, The left controls language where as the right controls recognition and creativity. 

Research into hemispheric lateralisatio was conducted by Sperry. Sperry looked into the ideea of a 'split brain'. This is where the corpus callosum is severed (which holds the two sides of the brain together) usually to relieve epilepsy. This therefore creates two individual brains which is a side effect of this surgery as they function sperately. Sperry aimed to invesitagte the effect of severing the corpus callosum on functioning. He conducted his research on 11 individuals who had had this surgery and was done in a natural environment. Within this procedure there was two conditions. In condition one, a word was presesnted to the left or right eye for 1/10th of a second (so the other eye could not recognise this information). In condition two, the individuals handled an onject behind the screen they were sat at with the left or right hand. Sperry found that when information was presetned…