Idea that two halves of the brain are functionally different, and that certain mental processes and behaviours are mainly controlled by one of two hemispheres rather than both, like language.
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Split brain research
Series of studies which began in 1960s, involving epileptic people who had experienced a surgical separation of the two hemispheres, this allowed researchers to investigate the extent to which brain function is lateralised.
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When was Sperry's studies?
1968
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What is the corpus callosulum?
allows both sides of the brain to communicate through thick nerves. Main communication between brains two hemispheres.
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What were Sperry's aims
To investigate the extent to which the two hemispheres of the brain were lateralised- specific to certain brain functions and whether the hemispheres performed the task independently or together etc.
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Why is language subject to hemispheric lateralisation?
Because the ability to produce and understand language is mostly controlled by the left hemisphere
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Describe briefly how Sperry investigated hemispheric lateralisation
Used a very unique group of individuals- like 11 people who has a history of epileptic seizures. All of which went through the same surgical procedure in which the corpus calloslum was severed down the middle to try and control epileptic seizures. Main wa
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Describe sperrys general procedure
Image projected to individuals right visual field(Processed by left hemisphere) and the same or differnt image projected to left visual field(Processed by right hemisphere).
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What usually happens in a normal brain
The corpus calloslum communicates the information between the right and left hemisphere almost immediately giving a complete picture of the visual world. However in split brain patients the info cant be conveyed between the two hemispheres.
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What were the three key aspects of the findings
Describing what you see, recognition by touch, composite words, matching faces.
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What were the describing what you see findings in the right visual field
When an image was shown to an individual's right visual field (processed by the left hemisphere) they could easily describe what was seen because most of the language centres are in the left hemisphere, the left hemisphere processes language.
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Left visual field
However in split brain individuals if the same object was shown to the left visual field (controlled by the right hemisphere) the individuals could not describe it and reported that there was nothing there)
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Why is this
This is because most of the language centres are found in the left hemisphere, in a normal brain messages would be relayed into the left hemisphere to the language centres, but split brain pateints nahhhh
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What happened in terms of matching faces
Right hemisphere more dominant,
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Whats a strength of sperrys research
Real world application in discoveries of lateralisation in the brain, like the importance of the corpus callosulum as it allows information to be communicated between the brains right and left hemisphere- example of language as well
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Issues with generalisation
Many researchers argued caution in their widespread acceptance and split brain patients were such an unusual group of people. Only 11 who took part in all variations. Argue that this may have caused unique changes which have influenced findings
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Another weakness
Some individuals experienced more separation than others, meaning the sample was inaccurate as some had a bit of communication and others didnt
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Another strength of the methodology
The methods used standardised procedures such as using a fixation point
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Split brain research
Back
Series of studies which began in 1960s, involving epileptic people who had experienced a surgical separation of the two hemispheres, this allowed researchers to investigate the extent to which brain function is lateralised.
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