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Sperry (1968) Split brain study - Coggle Diagram
Sperry (1968) Split brain study
Background
Corpus Callosum
Group of nerve fibers joining the brain's 2 hemispheres
Commissurotomy
Surgery splitting the brain into the two hemispheres. Done to improve epilepsy, decreasing fits.
Reduced information exchange between hemispheres
Contralateral Control + Hemispheric Lateralisation
Left Hemisphere
Language center
Controls
Right
hand
Receives info from
R
VF
Right Hemisphere
Visuo-Spatial tasks
Controls
Left
hand
Receives info from
L
VF
Aim
Testing effects of hemispheric deconnection
Does cognition differ between hemispheres?
How do hemispheres interact to achieve function?
Method
Design
Quasi, Lab Experiment
IV = Does ppts have split- brain
DV = Cognitive tests (visual + auditory + tactile)
Repeated Measures Design
ppts tested on both hemispheres for all tests
Case study
Sample
11 Epileptic patients
All had an Commissurotomy
Apparatus
Stimuli was presented using a tachistoscope (projector)
and
a screen
Then the same stimuli is presented to either the same visual field or the other VF
Procedure
Controls
Covering non-tested eye
Presented stimuli for only 0.1 seconds
So that there is no crossover
A stimulus was presented to one or both hemispheres
Then ppts had to recall (write, draw, say) the stimulus that was presented
Results
Object recognised if stimuli was re-presnted to the same visual field
Ppts could write the name of the object presented to the RVF only
Ppts could draw what had been presented to the LVF but not say what had been drawn unless it was re-presnted to the RVF
Conclusion
Assumption
An understanding of brain structures and function can explain behaviour.