Biological Area - Psychology

4 Studies in the biological area

• Sperry

• Casey

• Blakemore and Cooper

• Maguire

2 principles of the Biological area?

• Different regions of the brain are responsible for different behaviours

• The brain and the nervous system are key to understanding human behaviour

2 key themes of the Biological area?

• Regions of the brain - Sperry (Corpus Callosum) - Casey (inferior frontal gyrus)

• Brain plasticity - Blakemore and Cooper (Visual cortex) - Maguire (hippocampus)

Sperry Background?

Split brain animals

Sperry Aim?

To investigate the left and right hemisphere

Sperry Method and Design?

Method - Quasi

Design - RM

Sperry Sample?

11 P’s

Sperry Sample technique?

Opportunity sample

Sperry IV and DV?

IV- Split brain / Non split brain

DV- performance on test

Sperry controls?

Visual stimuli

Sperry Procedure?

Sperry Results?

Objects given into the right hand could be described and identified while objects given in the left hand couldn't be described

Sperry conclusion?

Split brain people have 2 separate inner worlds

Casey Background?

Eigsti - Cookies experiment with children

Casey Aim?

To investigate delay gratification in adults

Casey method and design?

Method- Quasi

Design- RM

Casey Sample?

564, 4 year olds from Stanford uni

EXP 1: 59 P’s in their 40’s

EXP 2: 27 P’s in their 40’s

Casey sample technique?

Opportunity sample

Casey IV and DV?

IV- Low / high delayer

DV- Performance on go/no-go task

Casey controls?

Pre-programmed laptop

Casey Procedure?

• Exp 1: Home pre-programmed laptop - 4 tasks - cool task one (f is go m is no go) cool task two (f is no go m is go) - hot task one (happy is go fear is no go) hot task two (happy is no go fear is go) - 160 trials - pictures shown for 500ms - 1 sec wait in between 

• Exp 2: fMRI machine - laid flat - pressed plastic button for go or no-go task - hot task one (happy is go fear is no go) hot task two (happy is no go fear is go) - 48 trials - 500ms - 12 to 14 sec wait in between 

Casey Results?

Low delayers - 15% errors

High delayers - 11% errors

Casey conclusion?

Delay gratification and impulse control as a child continues into adulthood

Blakemore and Cooper Background?

Visual cortex - where out eye sight and vision are processed

Blakemore and Cooper Aim?

To investigate the visual cortex

Blakemore and Cooper Method and Design?

Method- Lab

Design- IMD

Blakemore and Cooper Sample?

2 Kittens

Blakemore and Cooper Sample technique?

Opportunity sample

Blakemore and Cooper IV and DV?

IV - horizontal / vertical lines

DV - neurological and behavioural differences

Blakemore and Cooper Controls?

Lines in cylinder were 46cm x 2m

Blakemore and Cooper Procedure?

• 0-2 weeks: dark room 

• 2 weeks - 5 months: put in cylinder with vertical / horizontal lines at various widths for 5 hours per day - 46cm x 2m 

• 5 months - 7½ months: put in well furnished room - looked for behavioural differences - checked for startle and reach responses

• 7½ months: put electrode in visual cortex of each kitten

Blakemore and Cooper Results?

• Only had 75% of neurons after study - Neurological

• Temporary differences - after 10hrs startle and reach reflexes came back - Behavioural 

• Permanent - clumsy and jerky head movements - Behavioural

Blakemore and Cooper Conclusion?

Visual experiences impact on vision and are permanent

Maguire Background?

Hippocampus- linked to memory and special awareness

Maguire Aim?

To investigate the hippocampus

Maguire Method and Design?

Method- Quasi / Correlation

Design - IMD / Matched Pairs

Maguire Sample?

16 London black cab male taxi drivers

50 controls

Maguire Sample technique?

Opportunity sample

Maguire IV and DV?

• IV= black cab London taxi driver / control

• DV= volume and density of hippocampus

Maguire Controls?

• Health of male - right handed - age and gender 

Maguire Procedure?

• Controls were already stored in the data base

• Taxi drivers went to an MRI machine - measured VBM (grey matter) and Pixel counting

• Analysed by radiographer who looked at all the P’s while not knowing the conditions they were in 

Maguire results?

Taxi drivers have more grey matter and volume in the posterior than the anterior

Maguire conclusion?

• Brain plasticity is supported - the environment can shape our brains especially the hippocampus