SOCIAL APPROACH BACKGROUND TO STUDY Core Study 3: Sperry (1968) Hemispheric disconnection and unity in conscious awareness.

Core Studies: 1. Maguire, Dement & Kleitman, Sperry,1968 Physiological Approach

Background Questions 1. What is the Broca area and where is it located? 2. What is the Wernicke area and where is it located? 3. What did Wilder Penfield map? 4. What does localisation of brain function mean? 5. The brain is split into four lobes, identify each of the four lobes. 6. What is the corpus callosum? 7. What is a commissurotomies? 8. Why would a commiussurotomy be performed? 9. How many hemispheres is the brain made up of? 10. Name the different hemispheres and explain the function of each one. You may wish to have a visual representation of the hemispheres.

Approach & Behaviour  All that is physiological is first physiological – since the mind appears to reside in the brain, all thoughts, feelings and behaviours ultimately have a physiological cause.  The physiological approach could explain the dificulties experiences by individuals with a ‘split brain’, because their brains work differently to those of ‘normal’ people. As a results of having their corpus callosum severed, the two hemispheres of the brain work independently and, unlike a ‘normal; brain, do not transfer information from one side to the other.

Approach & Behaviour  This was demonstrated in Sperry’s study, which showed, for example, that if an object was presented to the left visual field, which was registered by the right hemisphere of split brain patients, they were unable to name what they had seen.  A ‘normal’ person would have no difficulty naming the object. This is because the language centre of the brain is in the left hemisphere, and in split brain patients, information presented to the right hemisphere cannot be transferred to the left for identification through language.

Roger Sperry ( )

Context Studies of stroke and other brain-damaged patients have shown a localization of brain function. That is, particular brain areas are dedicated to particular behaviours. The more we research the brain the more we can understand how specific areas are responsible for individual functions. In order to make these discoveries, researchers often work with individuals that have some form of brain change, either from injury or surgery.

Key Terms Central Nervous SystemEpilepsy Localisation of functionCerebellum HemispheresLimbic System Corpus callosumBrain Stem Cerebral CortexVisual field 4 Lobes Commissurotomies Using your IPADs, define the key terms listed.

Related Studies

STUDIES

Who? Topic When? What? Where? Why? How?

THE BRAIN

Understanding the Brain HEMISPHERES NERVOUS SYSTEM CEREBRAL CORTEX THE BRAIN

Researching Localisation of Function How would you study obedience? - Aims/Hypothesis: What do you want to find out? - Method: Experiment, Observation, Self-Report - Sample: Who, Where, How - Procedure: Step-by-step describe your study

Usefulness of research  Why should we investigate localisation of brain function?  Individual  Society/Group  Nation  Global

Why did Sperry research?

Researching Core Study

INTRODUCTION TO THE BRAIN Structures and Functions

Human Nervous System Central Nervous System Peripheral Nervous System Brain Spinal CordSomatic NSAutonomic NS Parasympathetic Sympathetic Sensory Neurons Motor Neurons The Nervous System

Cross Section of the Brain C T H L B P H M O

Cerebral Cortex Cerebral Cortex has 3 main functions: The cerebral cortex is the folded outer covering of the two cerebral hemispheres

Lobes Frontal Temporal Occipital Parietal FLOWER POT

The Hemispheres

Right Hemisphere Left Hemisphere Corpus Callosum

Lobes Frontal Lobe Parietal Lobe Occipital Lobe Temporal Lobe