Biological Approach

• Rosenzweig, Bennet, and Diamond AIM


  To investigate the effects on rat's brain growth of a highly stimulating enviroment when compared with the effects of an impoverished enviroment
• Rosenzweig, Bennet, and Diamond PROCEDURE


  The rats were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions (stimulating v impoverished)
• Rosenzweig, Bennet, and Diamond FINDINGS

  The brains of the enriched rats were heavier, especially in the cerebral centre
• Rosenzweig, Bennet, and Diamond CONCLUSION


  The enriched enviroment stimulated the brain growth of rats, causing them to thrive, the impoverished enviroment had the opposite effect
• Rosenzweig, Bennet, and Diamond STRENGTHS


  The findings challenged the idea that brain weight cannot be changed
• Rosenzweig, Bennet, and Diamond WEAKNESSES

  It isn't reliable that animal studies will apply to humans.
• Maguire AIM


  To examine whether structural changes could be detected in the brain of people with extensive experience of spatial navigation
• Maguire PROCEDURE


  Structural MRI scans were obtained for both london taxi drivers, and non-taxi drivers, then the scans were compared.
• Maguire FINDINGS


  London taxi drivers have larger posterior hippocampus than non-taxi drivers.
• Maguire CONCLUSION


  The results provide evidence for structural differences between the hippocampus of London taxi drivers, and non-taxi drivers, suggesting that extensive practice with spatial navigation effects the hippocampus.
• Maguire STRENGTHS


  Localisation of function supports the idea of neuroplasticity
• Maguire WEAKNESSES


  lacks control over variables, only considering careers.
• Draganski AIM


  To see whether learning a new skill - in this case, juggling - would affect the brainsn of participants.
• Draganski PROCEDURE


  All participants were non-jugglers - all participants had an MRI scan to serve as a control. The participants then learned how to juggle over the course of three months, having a repeat scan once a month. Along with a final scan a month after, onc ehtye had stopped juggling.
• Draganski FINDINGS


  Prior to the start of the experiment there was no difference in brain structure. On the second scan the jugglers had more grey matter in some areas of the cerebral cortex, mostly the mid-temporal area. The thrid scan showed that the previous differences had decreased, but the jugglers were experiencing denser gray matter
• Draganski CONCLUSION


  If we practice something then our brain will increase and when we stop practicing then it will decrease again, but often not to its original state
• Draganski STRENGTHS


  No researcher bias, Random sampling, Replicable, Cause/Effect relationship
• Draganski WEAKNESSES

  Low ecological validity, participant bias, self selected