Do Now

• Complete the quiz by

answering A or B for each
number
Do Now
To Score
• Give yourself one point for each
time you answered "A" for
questions:
1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20,
21.

• Give yourself one point for each

time you answered "B" for
questions:
4 ,5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18.
So…….
If your total

• 0-4: strong left brain

• 5-8: moderate left brain
• 9-13: middle brain
• 4-16: moderate right brain
• 17-21: strong right brain
 Learning objectives

By the end of the lesson to:

• Understand Split-Brain Research and Hemispheric

Lateralisation (AO1)
• Apply Split-Brain Research and Hemispheric
Lateralisation (AO2)
• Evaluate the strengths and limitations of Split-Brain
Research and Hemispheric Lateralisation (AO3)
Lateralisation and Split
Brain Patients
Lateralisation AO1

The idea that the two halves of the brain are functionally
different and certain processes or behaviours are controlled by
one hemisphere.

• The RIGHT side of the brain processes info from LEFT half of
body (e.g. visual info from the left eye)
• The LEFT side of brain processes info from RIGHT half of body
(e.g. visual info from the right eye)
The two hemispheres AO1

Also affects processing of information: Name one thing that is usually

processed by the left hemisphere.

Language

What about the right hemisphere?

Face Recognition
Drawing Ability
Spatial Tasks
AO2 Over to you… Close/cover your right
eye.

What is this a picture

of?

If language is dealt with

by the left hemisphere
(right eye) then how
can you still name this?
Who are split brain patients?

• A group of patients who had a

Corpus Callosotomy – where the
Corpus Callosum is severed so that
the two hemispheres are separated
and don’t communicate with each
other.
AO1
• This was done to control frequent
and severe epileptic fits.
 AO1
KEY STUDY: Sperry (1968)
AIM: To investigate what functions of the
brain are lateralised.

PROCEDURE: Compared split brain patients

to others with no hemisphere separation.
Different activities were tried with the
patients including touch of objects and
visual presentation of stimuli to see how
the different sides perform on tasks.
Sperry (1968) Procedures AO1

VISUAL TASKS - A word or

picture is projected into the left
or right visual field and patient
will be asked something about
that stimuli.

TACTILE TASKS - (touch with

objects) were carried out with
the P’s hands underneath a
screen so the Ps couldn’t see
what they were doing. They
had to use ‘feel’ only.
 AO1
Findings: Describing what they see

If a patient was If a patient was

shown something shown something
to their left visual to their right visual
field only – what field only – what
would they say? would they say?
Findings: Describing what they see

LEFT visual field: they could not describe it

(they often reported that there was nothing
there).

RIGHT visual field: they could easily

describe the picture shown to their right
visual field.
AO1
Findings: Recognition by touch AO1

If a patient was
shown an object in
their left visual field
what would happen
if they were asked to
select the same
object from a
They would be able to select the object
selection with their because it was seen by right hemisphere
left hand? and the left hand is also controlled by
right hemisphere (but couldn’t say
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9Glq9SVSxQ anything about the object)
1.55 – 3.38
Findings: Recognition by touch AO1

If a patient was
shown an object in
their left visual field
what would happen
if they were asked to
select the same
object from a
selection with their They would be unable to select the
right hand? object because it was seen by right
hemisphere and the right hand is
controlled by left hemisphere
Findings: Recognition by touch AO1

What would happen if they

were holding different
objects in each hand, then
the objects were hidden
amongst other objects and Each hand searches for its own
the two hands were told to object but ...If the left hand
find the objects they were picks up the object which the
originally holding? right hand is looking for, the
object is rejected!
Findings: Drawing AO1

A picture is shown to the left or

right visual field and the patient
is asked to draw it.

The drawings were consistently

better when drawn by the left
hand (controlled by the right
hemisphere)

This was despite the patients This suggests that the right
actually being right handed. hemisphere (and therefore left hand)
was superior at drawing ability.
Findings: Composite Words AO1

If a patient was shown

two different words to
their left and right
visual field what
would they say and
what would they pick
up with their left They would say ring as that is processed
hand? by the left hemisphere and they would
be able to pick up the key with their left
hand as that was processed by the right
hemisphere.
Findings: Face Recognition AO1

Q: What would
As left deals with
happen if they
language they would
had to name
be likely to say “man”
whether they
as the man side of the
had seen a man
face was processed by
or a woman?
left hemisphere.
 AO1
Findings: Face Recognition

Q: what would happen

As the right deals if a split brain patient
with face recognition sees this and is asked
to pick out a matching
they are more likely photo of what they
to select an image of have seen (but the
the woman as the photos are of the full single
faces not a split face)?
woman image is
processed by right
hemisphere
Conclusions AO1

• It seems that in these patients the hemispheres of the brain

process information separately.

• Hemispheres do have differing functions (e.g language left and

drawing ability right) supporting lateralisation.

• P’s seem to have two separate streams of consciousness with

their own memories and perceptions.
 AO1
Videos
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx53Zj7EKQE – Part 1

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9u6cQYcOHw – part 2
Evaluation
 AO3
Evaluation (page 43)
• Gazzanigra (demonstrated lateralised brain function)

• Methodology (strengths)

• Pucetti (humans being “two brained”)

• Generalisation / Overstated (evaluation extra)

 AO3
Sperry and Gazzanigra
Sperry and Gazzanigra’s pioneering research into split brain patients has
produced an impressive and sizeable body of research

The main conclusion appears to be:

• That the left hemisphere is more geared towards analytic and verbal
tasks
• The right is more adept at performing spatial tasks and music
 AO3
Methodology
• Experiments involving split-brain patients made the use of highly
specialised and standardised procedures

• This allowed Sperry to very aspect of the basic procedure and ensure
the only one hemisphere was receiving information at time

• Therefore we can say that he developed a very useful and well control
procedure
 AO3
Theoretical Basis
• Sperry’s work prompted a theoretical debate about the degree of
communication between the two hemispheres

• Some theorists for example Pucetti (1977) have suggested that the two
hemispheres are so functionally different that they represent a form of
duality in the brain (in effect there are two separate minds)

• In contrast other researchers have argued that, far from working in

isolation, the two hemispheres form a highly integrated system and are
both involved in most everyday tasks (so acting as one whole brain)
 AO3
Generalisation / Overstated
• As fascinating as the split brain patients results are, there were only 11
who took part in all variations of the basic procedure
• All of Sperry’s participants (experimental group) had a history of
epileptic seizures and had a medical procedure cutting through their
corpus callosum and stopping the flow of information between the
hemispheres
• His control group had NO history of epilepsy and an intact corpus
callosum allowing information to travel from one hemisphere to the
other
• So maybe the results cannot be generalized and any differences have
been overstated
AO2
Apply it AO2
A1. 380/400 × 100 = 95%

A2. 19/20

A3. 80/320 × 100 = 25%

A4. In the original study, if an object was placed in the

participant’s right hand it could not be identified in speech
because speech is located in the left hemisphere – however,
left-handed people tend to have language in the right
hemisphere so they would be able to identify the object in
speech.
AO2
Apply it AO2
A. Kim Peek differs from Sperry’s patients as they had their corpus callosum’s
cut in order to control their epilepsy, rather than it being missing due to natural
causes. The brain may have more plasticity when it is young which may have
enabled Peek to compensate for the lack of a corpus callosum.

Peek may have had some hemispheric connections remaining – the corpus
callosum is the main connection but there are others.

Peek would also not have suffered the trauma of epilepsy which may have
caused brain damage.

Read more about Kim Peek at:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-superhuman-mind/201303/th
e-brain-the-real-rain-man
RECAP: Explain what
would happen in split
brain patients when…

• Answers in notes below:…

AO1
Exam Questions
• Split brain patients show unusual behaviour when tested in
experiments. Briefly explain how unusual behaviour in split brain
patients could be tested in an experiment.

(2 marks)
Mark Scheme
[AO2 = 2]
2 marks for a clear, brief explanation including detail of an appropriate
experimental procedure and what patients would be required to do.
1 mark for a vague explanation which has some detail about an appropriate
experimental procedure and what patients would be required to do.
Possible suggestions:
• plausible experimental situation / set-up – eg split visual field, dichotic
listening
• plausible stimulus – visual, faces, words, auditory, digits, music etc
• plausible task for patient – verbal or visuospatial response, eg drawing,
matching etc.
Exam Questions
• Briefly evaluate research using split brain patients to investigate
hemispheric lateralisation of function.
(4 marks)
Mark Scheme
Possible evaluation points [AO3 = 4]:
• the disconnection between the hemispheres was greater in some patients than
others
• some patients had experienced drug therapy for much longer than others
• the comparison groups were not considered to be valid as they were often
people with no history of epileptic seizures
• the data were artificially produced as in real life a severed corpus callosum can be
compensated for by the unrestricted use of two eyes
• the research has added to the unity of consciousness debate
• research relates to small sample sizes
Alien Hand
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12225163
Other Videos

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lmfxQ-HK7Y
• 10 mins
Homework

• Outline and evaluate the FOUR methods of investigating the BRAIN (you
may want to use a mind map for this)
• Post Mortem
• EEGs
• ERPs
• fMRIs

(page 44-45 book 2)