Exam (elaborations)
Essay on Hemispheric Lateralisation for AQA A-Level Psychology
Grade B Essay on Research into Hemispheric Lateralisation. Covers key research, key people and evaluations throughout.
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
Seller
Follow
Content preview
Discuss Research on Hemispheric LateralisationHemispheric lateralisation is the idea that the two halves of the brain are functionally
different and that each hemisphere has functional specialisations. Research into
hemispheric lateralisation was carried out by Sperry and Gazzaniga, who used split brain
patients in their research. These are patients who have undergone commissurotomy (the
separating of the corpus callosum).
In their research, Sperry and Gazzaniga carried out three variations- describe what you see,
tactile test and drawing task. In the describe what you see variation, participants were
presented with objects in the left visual field and the right visual field separately and had to
identify what they saw. In the tactile test, objects were placed in the left hand and then the
right hand and participants had to identify what they were holding. In the drawing task,
participants were presented with words in the left and right visual fields and had to draw
what they saw. From their research, Sperry and Gazzaniga concluded that the left
hemisphere is dominant in language and the right hemisphere is dominant in visual motor
tasks.
While it can be said that the research was pioneering and gave psychologists an
understanding of the brain, the sample was very limited, consisting of only eleven
participants. This therefore means that there are generalisability issues as it is hard to come
by patients who have undergone commissurotomy as the procedure isn’t really carried out
anymore, as well as the fact that there is a low percentage of the population with illnesses
severe enough to undergo the procedure. However, Rogers et al (2004) supports the work of
Sperry and Gazzaniga through research on a domestic chicken- he found that brain
lateralisation is associated with a strengthened ability to do two tasks simultaneously; in the
case of the chicken finding food and being vigilant for predators. This provides support for
the advantages of brain lateralisation and the idea that both halves of the brain support
different functions. However, it is argued that this research cannot be used in support of
Sperry and Gazzaniga’s research as it was conducted on an animal, therefore it is
impossible to conclude the same in a human. Furthermore, research from Szaflarki et al
(2006) found that lateralisation can change: they found that language became more
lateralised to the left side in children and adolescents with increasing age, however after the
age of 25, lateralisation decreased with each decade of life. Therefore, this raises the
question of whether everyone has one hemisphere that is dominant over the other, leading
us to question Sperry and Gazzaniga’s research.
In conclusion, while the research provided us with informative information about the brain,
there is little evidence to back up the research conducted by Sperry and Gazzaniga , as well
as the fact that research from Turk et al (2002) suggests that the brain can adapt following
injury to certain areas, suggesting that hemispheres do not have fixed functions as Sperry
and Gazzaniga concluded.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller meganbarker. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £2.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
79202 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now