sperry

• what was the aim?

  to investigate the effects of hemisphere deconnection and to show that each hemisphere has different functions
• what was the sample?

  11 people who had split brain operation previously

  opportunity sampling
• research methods?

  • quasi because iv ( split brain or not ) is naturally occuring and is not manipulated
  • dv= whether they were able to do some visual and tactile tests or not
• procedure in steps

  1. ps had one eye covered and staring at a dot in the middle of the translucent screen
  2. visual stimuli was then showed for 1/10 of a second or less so it was too fast for the eye to process
  3. everything projected to the left of the screen is passed via left visual field and to the right hemisphere and vice versa
  4. below the screen was a gap so ps could reach objects but not being able to see their hands
  5. objects were placed in their hands either right or left
  6. information about objects in right hand is processed in left hemisphere and vice versa
• what were the two apparatuses used?

  1. tachistoscope
  2. translucent screen
• findings?

  • information shown in one visual field could only be recognised if shown to the same visual field again
  • if different figures were shown to each visual field e.g $ to LVF and & to RVF they would be able to draw $ and say they say & as LVF right hemisphere does not control language
• conclusions

  • split brain patients. appear to have two independent streams fo consciousness, each with its own memory perception and impluses, this supports the argument of lateralisation of function
• what is the lateralisation of function ?

  this is where different areas and hemispheres of the brain specialise in different tasks such as left being responsible for language