Draganski et al. (2004)

Aim

Find out whether the human brain can change structure in response to environmental demands

Method

True Field Experiment

Design

Independent Measures

Sampling Strategy

Self-selected with Purposive

Independent Variable

Whether participants learned to juggle or not

Dependent Variable

Mass of Grey matter in the Mid Temporal Lobe

Procedure 1: (condition)

Participants were allocated to one of two conditions: the jugglers and the non-jugglers

Procedure 2: (juggling)

Those that were in the juggling condition were taught a three-ball cascade juggling routine

Procedure 3: (mastery)

They were asked to practise this routine and to notify researchers when they had mastered it

Procedure 4: (scans)

Once mastered, jugglers had a second MRI scan. After the scan, they were told not to juggle anymore and then a third and final scan was carried out three months later.

Procedure 5: (control)

The non-juggling group served as a control group for the duration of the study

Procedure 6: (voxel)

Draganski then used voxel-based morphometry to compare the brains of the control and experimental group.

Results 1: (base-line scans)

Base-line scans showed no significant regional differences in grey matter between conditions

Results 2: (second scan)

 In the second scan, jugglers showed a significantly larger amount of grey matter in the mid-temporal area in both hemispheres (visual memory)

Results 3: (third scan)

In third scan, many participants were no longer able to carry out the routine - the amount of grey matter in these parts of the brain had decreased.

Results 4: (control)

there was no change over the duration of the study in the non-juggling sample.

Conclusion

The results indicate that the acquisition of a great amount of highly abstract information (formation of new memories) may be related to a particular pattern of structural grey matter changes in particular brain areas.