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Background
Language
Split-brain research
Procedure
Sperry took advantage of the fact that information from the left visual field (LVF) is
processed in the right hemisphere and information from the right visual field (RVF) is
processed in the left hemisphere
Normally, visual
information that is
received by one
hemisphere is
immediately
transmitted across the
corpus callosum to the
other hemisphere
This means that both
hemispheres are aware
of the visual
information
However
In a split-brain patient, the corpus callosum has been cut
This means that visual information that is received by one hemisphere cannot be
transmitted across the corpus callosum to the other hemisphere
This means that visual information that is received by the right hemisphere is
confined to the right hemisphere and visual information received by the left
hemisphere is confined to the left hemisphere
Sperry conducted a number of different procedures
In a typical procedure, he asked a split-brain patient to fixate on a dot in the centre
of a screen
Information was then presented to either the LVF or the RVF for a very brief period
In some procedures, information was presented to both visual fields at the same time
The patient was then asked to respond
In some procedures, they were asked to respond verbally
In other procedures, they were asked to respond with an action
Findings
Description
Illustration
Describing
what you
see
Recognition
by touch
Recognition by touch:
When a word or image was presented to the
LVF (processed in the right hemisphere),
patients were able to select a matching
object from a set of objects using their left
hand (controlled by the right hemisphere)
They were also able to draw the object using
their left hand (controlled by the right
hemisphere)
However
The patient was still unable to describe what
they had seen
Composite
words
Evaluation (AO3-)
1)
P:
There are concerns that Sperrys research has led to a growing body of poppsychological literature that overemphasises and oversimplifies the functional
dysfunction between the left and right hemispheres.
Although the verbal and non-verbal labels can be applied to summarise the
differences between the two hemispheres
Modern neuro-scientists would argue that the actual distinction is less clear-cut
than this
In a normal brain, the two hemispheres are in constant communication, and many
of the behaviours typically associated with one hemisphere can be effectively
performed by the other hemisphere when the situation required it.
E:
E:
This suggests that differences in hemispheric function may have been overstated
Research into split brain patients can be criticized for lacking control
For example
All 11 of the split brain patients who took part in Sperrys original study had a
history of epileptic seizures.
These seizures may have caused unique changes in the brain that influenced the
findings.
Also
Some of the split-brain patients had experienced more disconnection between the
two hemispheres than others.
Beside the corpus callosum, there are other smaller pathways that connect the
two hemispheres, such as the anterior commissure.
In some cases, this was cut along with the corpus callosum
But in other cases it was left intake, possibly allowing for some communication
between the two hemispheres.
2)
P:
E:
E:
This suggests that Sperrys research was affected by extraneous variables, and
therefore lacked internal validity.
There is evidence that lateralization of function does not stay the same
throughout an individuals lifetime
It has been found that lateralized patterns found in younger individuals tend to
switch to bilateral patterns in healthy older adults.
For example
Szaflarski et al. (2006) found that language became more lateralized to the left
hemisphere with increasing age in children and adolescents.
However, after the age of 25, lateralization decreased with each decade of life.
It is difficult to know why this is the case.
This suggests that lateralisation of function is more complicated than previously
thought
3)
P:
E:
4)
P:
For example, Andrews (2001) reported that many studies used as few as 3
participants and some used just 1.
This is because split-brain patients are very unusual, commissurotomies are rarely
carried out nowadays.
E:
E: