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Blakemore & Cooper - Evaluation - Coggle Diagram
Blakemore & Cooper - Evaluation
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Background
Normal cats have neurons of visual cortex that are selective for orientation of lines and edges of whole visual field. Previously, kittens reared with one eye viewing vertical stripes and the other horizontal. Out of 21 neurons, 20 in the orientation of stripes were experienced by that eye.
Method
Design: Lab experiment with independent design. To investigate the influence of early visual experience on the development of the visual system in kittens
Sample: randomly selected kittens
Procedure: Kittens raised from birth in dark room. At 2 weeks, put onto a glass table inside cylinder with either vertical or horizontal stripes. Wore a collar so they couldn't see their bodies. At 5 months, taken out of cylinder into well lit room with tables and chairs and were observed
Results
Within 10 hours after cylinder, could jump with ease but were clumsy
Showed 'behavioural blindness'
At 7.5 months, anaesthetised while neurons in VF were studied. 125 neurons from 2 cats. Horizontal neurons didn't 'fire off' in vertical kitten and vice versa
Conclusions
Visual cortex may adapt itself to nature of visual experiences during maturation. Illustrates neural plasticity. While an evolutionary advantage for animal brain to have hard-wired capacities at birth, such as ability to respond to lines of certain orientations, also advantage for brain to be able to adapt to environmental conditions. cells may change preferred orientation towards commonest type of environmental stimulus
Core studies in their pairs
How the study changes our understanding of individual, social and cultural diversity
Individual: Maguire et al's research was able to show that brain plasticity does not only apply to animals such as cats but to humans as well. Maguire et al showed that excessive use of navigation skills led the brain to adjust and for grey matter in the posterior hippocampi to develop to accommodate this demand
The contemporary study doesn't tell us more about social diversity but it does show great improvements in the ability to measure human brain activity and allow for future research now to explore this
No cultural diversity
How does the study relate to the area
An early example of research into brain plasticity, in which evidence is put forward of the impact that the visual environment has on cats' brains (specifically their visual neurons). Included as a biological study because of its focus on neurons, and also because it opens up the debate about whether biology affects behaviour or whether behaviour might even affect biology