Physiological-Sperry-Split Brain Patients

Question 0

What type of experiment was performed for this investigation?

Answer 0

Sperry conducted it as a laboratory experiment, meaning he could control the variables and the environment that the participants were In

Question 1

What was the basic aim of the study?

Answer 1

The Aim of the study was to test the effects of hemispheric deconnection in humans, specifically if cognition a, perception and memory, and if they differed between the hemispheres

Question 2

Who were the participants? What position were they in?

Answer 2

There were 11 split brain patients. They all had epilepsy, and they’d all had an operation to divide their brain in half down the ‘middle’ to reduce the epileptic seizures. The operation meant that their left and right hemispheres could not transfer information to one another

Question 3

What were the participants of the study actually asked to do?

Answer 3

They were presented with different stimuli to the left or right hemispheres (e.g. The left or right visual field or hand). They then said or wrote what they had seen, or tried to in some cases.

Question 4

What were the results of these tests that were done?

Answer 4

• Participants could only give verbal responses when objects entered the left hemisphere
• Participants could find or draw an object they had encountered only if their perception and motor control used the same hemisphere
• The right hemisphere showed little linguistic ability but understood logic and emotions

Question 5

What conclusions did Sperry come to from the study?

Answer 5

• Hemisphere decconection makes the two hemispheres independent, so each has its own consciousness
• The right Hemisphere is logical, understands emotion and has limited understanding of language

Question 6

What were the independent variables?

Answer 6

The effect of the hemisphere deconnection

Question 7

What was the dependent variable?

Answer 7

The perception and memory and the effects of the decconection

Question 8

We can only talk or write about things when…

Answer 8

They have entered the left hemisphere

Question 9

We can only remember or recall something if…

Answer 9

It has already entered the same visual field