Summary sheet for core study describing the basics for the study as well as ethical consideration and evaluations of validity and reliability within the study.
Background: Aim: To investigate role of Reliability:
The hippocampus plays an hippocampus in navigational High internal reliability as MRI scanner was used to
important role in memory. It is and spatial skills and on brain measure hippocampal volume and size of grey matter.
found in each hemisphere of the plasticity when exposed to High levels of control as on experimenter, who was
brain and plays a key role in extensive navigational blind, carried out all the brain scans so increases
spatial memory and navigation. experience in taxi drivers. consistency.
-Animals with larger territory
have increased hippocampal Correlation Aim: Validity:
volume. Correlation between length of High in validity as experimenter was blind so less
-Small animals involved in food taxi driving experience and chance of bias.
storage have increased measure of grey matter Lacks ecological validity as it was in a lab setting with
hippocampal volume. scanners so is artificial.
Method: Concurrent validity as VBM and pixel counting showed
Sample: Quasi experiment with similar results of measurement of grey matter volume.
16 licensed London taxi drivers, correlation. High in population validity as they used London taxi
who were right-handed and aged Independent measures drivers.
between 32-62.(All healthy design. Low in population validity as they were all male and all
medically). IV’s = taxi driver and non- right handed, which may have been extraneous
Comparison group = 50 male Ethics:
ppts, who were right-handed Ppts gave informed consent before taking part
and aged 32-62, from MRI Maguire et
on how hippocampal volume can change and
al.
Procedure (VBM): brain plastcitiy.
Voxel based morphometry = They were not deceived.
identifies differences in density of Ppts also had the right to withdraw at any point
grey matter in different parts of of the study if they felt distressed.
Results:
the brain. MRI may have caused them distress as they
-Taxi drivers have increased grey
would have been in the scanner for a while and
matter in right posterior
Procedure (Pixel counting): it can also be loud when taking photos so could
hippocampus.
Pixels were counted on
photographic slices. The person Ethnocentrism:
-Non-taxi drivers have increased
counting pixels was single blind. Is ethnocentric as it only looks at brain plasticity
grey matter in anterior
Pixels were counted for anterior and hippocampal volume from a western
hippocampus.
and posterior body of perspective of London taxi-drivers through use
of scanners, which may not be available to other
Conclusions:
disadvantaged countries.
As experience increases, grey
Isn’t ethnocentric as everyone has a brain that
matter increases.
has the ability to change shape/ size, so can be
There is a positive correlation for
generalised to everyone despite people having
volume of posterior hippocampus
different hippocampal volume.
and length of experience of being
a taxi driver.
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