BIT STUDIES

Maguire (2009)

  • Aim: See Navigation-related structural change in the hippocampus of Taxi Drivers

  • Method: MRI

  • Research Method: Quasi

  • IV - Profession -> Taxi Driver vs Non-Taxi Driver

  • DV - Change in Structure of Hippocampus

  • Licensed Black Cab London Taxi Drivers take the test 'The Knowledge' (takes 2 years to undergo)

  • Must have tons of Navigational Experience

  • 2 groups -> Taxi Drivers, Control Group

    • Taxi Drivers -> Lots of Navigational Knowledge

    • Control Group -> Regular People -> Basic Navigational Knowledge

  • Both Groups had MRI Scans

  • MRIs were compared using Pixel Counting (quantitative data)

  • Results:

    • Taxi Drivers -> Larger Posterior Hippocampus 

    • Control Subjects -> Larger Anterior Hippocampus

    • Navigational Memory -> Stored in Posterior Hippocampus

    • Neurons in Posterior Hippocampus used more -> Increases Connections between neurons -> Grey Matter Grows

Application

DIVER

MRI measured structure of brain

  • Enabled them to use Pixel Counting to compare size of Hippocampus

Drivers -> Larger Posterior Hippocampus

Non-Taxi Drivers -> Larger Anterior Hippocampus

Wouldn't have been identified without using MRI

  • Pixel Counting enabled comparisons

Data

  • Quantitative (Pixel Counting)

    • Higher Objectivity = amount of Pixels = Size of Hippocampus = No BIAS


Internal Validity

    :)

  • Control Group - Non Taxi Drivers

  • Control Variable - From London ('The Knowledge' is only done in London)

   :(

  • Participant Variable - Experience

High Construct Validity - Measuring Hippocampus

High Ecological Validity 

  •  Driving in familiar setting (London) -> Researcher hasn't manipulated manipulated anything

  • High Mundane Realism

Reliability

  • L Repeatability - MRI expensive

  • L Temporal Validity - 2000s vs 2020s

    • People use Google Maps

    • Less Navigational Memory

  • L Generalisability

    • Males

    • London

    • Used to area more

Aspinall (2015)

  • Aim: See how the environment can affect Brain Activity

  • Method: EEG

  • Research Method: Field

  • IV: Different Zones

  • DV: Brain Activity + Emotions Felt

  • Participants take 25 min walk through 3 zones

  • Zones:

    • Zone 1 - Urban Shopping Street

    • Zone 2 - Green Space

    • Zone 3 - Commercial District

  • Participants have EEGs attached to them 

  • EEG provides continuous data about 5 emotions

  • Results:

    • ↓ BA in Zone 2

      • ↑ Meditation, ↓ Frustration, ↓ Engagement, ↓ Arousal

    • ↑ BA in Zones 1 and 3

      • ↓ Meditation, ↑ Frustration, ↑ Engagement, ↑ Arousal

  • ↓ BA in Green Spaces

Application

DIVER

Aspinall shows effects of environmental stimuli on brain Activity

When moving into green space zone, there's less frustration, engagement and arousal, and higher meditation (↓BA) but it's the reverse when moving out (↑BA)

This was able to be identified due to the EEG and its continuous data recordings

Reliability

↑ Repeatability

  • EEG Scan is low cost - Inexpensive

  • Only took 25 mins - Time Efficient

↓ Generalisability

  • PPS only from Edinburgh - can't generalise to other settings

↑ Temporal Validity

  • City is still as busy - BA is same

  • Could be less - Edinburgh could be less busy nowadays

Psychological Harm

  • PPS may feel uncomfortable walking about with the wires on their head in the busy streets

Salmon (1996)

  • Aim: See Regional Brain Activity during working memory task

  • Method: PET

  • RResearch Method: Lab

  • IV: The Tasks - Visual or Phono Memory

  • DV: Regional Brain Activity


  • 10 Male, European, Right-Handed Volunteers (19 - 30 y.o)

  • Visual STM Task: 6 Korean Letters were randomly presented to PPS

  • PPS were presented with Korean Letters and had to press 'Yes' or 'No' to whether they'd seen the letter or not

  • Phonological STM Task: Random Sequences of 6 Phonologically Dissimilar Consonants were presented

  • PPS had to rehearse silently, then detect whether consonant presented 2 seconds after was present (Y/N)

  • Results:

    • Phonological Loop - Lower Left Supramarginal Gyrus (Parietal Lobe) and Premotor Area -> Verbal Memory Processes

    • Visuo-spatial Sketchpad - Superior Occipital Gyrus (Occipital Lobe) -> Visual STM

    • Different parts of brain control different processes

Application

DIVER

Scan was useful

Different tasks (phonological or visuo-spatial) cause BA in certain parts of brain to increase

PET shows where BA comes from, but EEG doesn't - so we need PET

PET provides continuous data - as a moving image

Reliability

  • Extraneous Variables - Volunteer - Bias - (Only Interested People will volunteer)


  • Internally Valid 

    • Lab Experiment - Very Controlled - ↑ Causality

    • No Extraneous Variables

    • Right Handed, European, Male - Structurally Similar Brains

  • ↓ Generalisability - Tiny Sample - Too Biased

  • ↑ Repeatability - 10 PET Scans, Testing someone else's experiment

  • ↓ Repeatability - Expensive - EEG is cheaper

  • ↑ Temporal Validity

    • Tech of PET scan hasn't changed

    • Commonality of Korean Letters hasn't changed

  • Harm

    • Radiation

    • HOWEVER -> Necessary, Not Much Radiation, Very Spaced Out