sperry

• background

  • the corpus callous connects the left and right hemisphere together
  • lateralisation of function - each hemisphere has different functions
  • contralateral control - right hemisphere = left body
• aim - investigate the effects of hemispheric deconnection and show lateralisation of function
• sample

  • 11 spilt brain ps
  • opportunity sampling
• method

  • quasi experiment
  • Case study method
• apparatus

  • t scope - researcher can display visual stimuli for a period of controlled time (0.1s)
• procedure

  • visual tasks - ps were shown a word or an image to one vf and then asked to describe what they saw, or the same thing was shown to both vf and ps were asked to describe and draw what they saw
  • tactile tasks - ps were given an object in one hadn't and asked to name it, then one object in each hand and ps had to pick out the object they were holding
• results

  • visual - if ps were shown an image in one vf, they would only recognise the image in the same vf as initially presented to. If an image was shown to the rvf the subject could only say what they had seen
  • tactile - if object in right hand can name object, both hands can select their object from an array but will not notice each others
• conclusions

  • results support the idea of lateralisation of function, the left hemisphere seems to be specialised for processing language, sperry suggests that following hemispheric deconnection the hemispheres become independent of each other with their own consciousness
• strengths

  • ethical
  • qualitative and quantitative data
  • highly standardised
• weakness

  • iv naturally occurring therefore harder to replicate
  • socially sensitive
  • ps have abnormal brains therefore generalisability must be questioned
  • low ecological validity
• link to area

  • assumption - research should study the brain and other biological systems to explain behaviour
  • examines the behaviour of split brain ps and how this can impact our knowledge of lateralisation of function, we are now aware that the left hemisphere controls language
• link to key theme of regions of the brain

  • the left hemisphere controls the language abilities of a person and that persons ability to recognise objects, the right hemisphere controls the creativity
  • each hemisphere has different functions and thus proves lateralisation of function