Plasticity

Question 1

Plasticity

Answer 1

brains ability to change and adapt according to new experiences and new learning
* this means that existing neural connections can change or new neural connection can be formed as a result of new experiences

Question 2

Maguire et al (2000)

Answer 2

• research into plasticity
• correlation study
• 16 London Taxi drivers
• used MRI scan to study their brains
• significantly more grey matter in the posterior hippocampus than in the matched control group
• posterior hippocampus = part of brain associated with development of spatial and navigational skills
• part of training = london cabbies take complex test called ‘The knowlegde’ which asses their recall of city streets and possible routes
• longer they had been doing that job, the more pronounced the structural difference (positive correlation) supports plasticity because it shows that experience changes brain structure

Question 3

Evaluation

Answer 3

+ Good design
+ Scientific
- Extraneous variables
- Small sample size
+ Draganski et al (2006)
+ Mechelli et al (2004)

Question 4

+ Good design

Answer 4

the study uses a control group which allows us to say that there is a significant difference between taxi drivers and others

Question 5

+ Scientific

Answer 5

it uses a scientific, objective measurement (MRI scans)

Question 6

- Extraneous variables

Answer 6

• we cant be sure that the difference is due to the ‘knowledge’ as they werent tested before
• they could have been taxi drivers because of their already existing differences
• although theres a positive correlation between experience and structure makes this less likely

Question 7

Small sample size

Answer 7

• study was conducted on a small sample
• we cannot generalise the findings as we dont know if all taxi drivers would have a larger hippocampus
• the study lacks population validity

Question 8

Draganski et al

Answer 8

• 2006
• carried out study of brain scans of medical students 3 months before and after their final exams
• learning induced changes were see to have occurred in the posterior hippocampus and the parietal cortex presumably as a result of the exam
• supports the idea of plasticity because there were changes to the hippocampus in students brain after they had studied for their exams

Question 9

Mechelli et al

Answer 9

• 2004
• found differences in the brains of people who were billingual compared to matched monolingual controls