Module 13

Corpus collosum

Large band of neural fibers connecting two brain hemispheres, carry messages between them

Split Brain

Condition resulting from surgery, isolating two hemispheres by cutting neural fibers

Consciousness

Subjective awareness of ourselves and environment

Cognitive neuroscience

Study of brain activity linked with cognition (perception, thinking, memory, language, attitude)

Dual processing

Info processed simultaneously on conscious and unconscious tracksB

Blindsight

Responding to a visual w/o consciously experiencing it (seeing)

Parallel processing

Process well-learned info to solve easy problems simultaneously

Sequential processing

Process one aspect at a time to process new info and solve difficult problems

Michael Gazzaniga

Discovered when bundle of nerve fibers are severed, two hemispheres of brain works separately, left hem dominates language and verbal reasoning, right hem processes spatial and nonverbal tasks.

Left brain constructs explanations to fulfill explanations of seen physical activity

Act first explain later

Roger Sperry

Split brain of cat and monkey experiment

Split brain reveals

Personality and intellect were hardly affected, can’t verbalize what is seen by right hem, can point/identify with left hem

Conscious vs unconscious processing

Conscious : action ( “high roads” )

Unconscious : processing (" “low roads” )