Cuttaway's Split-Brain Experiment
Dr C.N.S Cuttaway,
Your patient P.F volunteered to participate in a split-brain experiment. The details of the experiment method and the information given to P.F prior to the experiment are included in the abstract, and the results are described below.
When presented with a stimulus (The word KEY) in the left visual field, P.F was able to pick up the correct item with his left hand, however asked if the item was correct as he was unsure. This is due to the stimulus being processed by the right hemisphere, which controls the motor functions of the left side of the body, and so his left hand was able to locate the item, but the information was withheld from the right hemisphere and so no verbal processing took place and P.F’s answer was uncertain. …show more content…
Again, this is due to the left visual field being processed by the right hemisphere and therefore verbal processing does not take place and his right hand (which is controlled by the left hemisphere) cannot locate the item.
P.F was then presented with the stimulus (the word RING) in his right visual field, P.F was able to locate the correct item with his right hand and state confidently “Here is the ring you asked for”. His left hemisphere was able to verbally process the word and cause his right arm to pick up the ring.
The stimulus was repeated and P.F was asked to pick up the object with his left hand. After some fumbling he picked up the key and verbally states “My hand has been a bit numb lately. I can’t feel things so well.” It was expected that P.F would pick up the wrong item or not pick up anything at all due to the stimulus being processed by his left hemisphere and therefore his left hand being controlled by the hemisphere of the brain that has not received the stimulus.
His verbal response, while it may be true, seemed more like an excuse for choosing the wrong item as his left hand was easily able to pick up the correct item in the earlier trials. In either case, it showed that he could verbally process that he had picked up the wrong …show more content…
A person with an intact corpus callosum should see and process the word key ring, and be able to pick up the item with either hand.
When this stimulus was presented to the participant, and he was asked to locate the item with his left hand, P.F picked up the key and verbalised that he was unsure why his hand took the key.
This is because the word ‘Key’ was processed by his right hemisphere that then controlled the left hand to pick up the item, but the word ‘Ring’ was processed by his left hemisphere where language processing occurs and so he could state that the object should have been a key.
When asked to pick up the item with his right hand, the participant located the key and stated “I think the ring is the correct object.” This shows that the word ring was processed by his left hemisphere which verbally processed the word and controlled the right hand to pick up the item.
(585 WORDS) The stimulus must be presented for a brief amount of time to ensure that the word is only in the left or right visual field, and is therefore exclusively sent to and processed by one hemisphere of the
Your patient P.F volunteered to participate in a split-brain experiment. The details of the experiment method and the information given to P.F prior to the experiment are included in the abstract, and the results are described below.
When presented with a stimulus (The word KEY) in the left visual field, P.F was able to pick up the correct item with his left hand, however asked if the item was correct as he was unsure. This is due to the stimulus being processed by the right hemisphere, which controls the motor functions of the left side of the body, and so his left hand was able to locate the item, but the information was withheld from the right hemisphere and so no verbal processing took place and P.F’s answer was uncertain. …show more content…
Again, this is due to the left visual field being processed by the right hemisphere and therefore verbal processing does not take place and his right hand (which is controlled by the left hemisphere) cannot locate the item.
P.F was then presented with the stimulus (the word RING) in his right visual field, P.F was able to locate the correct item with his right hand and state confidently “Here is the ring you asked for”. His left hemisphere was able to verbally process the word and cause his right arm to pick up the ring.
The stimulus was repeated and P.F was asked to pick up the object with his left hand. After some fumbling he picked up the key and verbally states “My hand has been a bit numb lately. I can’t feel things so well.” It was expected that P.F would pick up the wrong item or not pick up anything at all due to the stimulus being processed by his left hemisphere and therefore his left hand being controlled by the hemisphere of the brain that has not received the stimulus.
His verbal response, while it may be true, seemed more like an excuse for choosing the wrong item as his left hand was easily able to pick up the correct item in the earlier trials. In either case, it showed that he could verbally process that he had picked up the wrong …show more content…
A person with an intact corpus callosum should see and process the word key ring, and be able to pick up the item with either hand.
When this stimulus was presented to the participant, and he was asked to locate the item with his left hand, P.F picked up the key and verbalised that he was unsure why his hand took the key.
This is because the word ‘Key’ was processed by his right hemisphere that then controlled the left hand to pick up the item, but the word ‘Ring’ was processed by his left hemisphere where language processing occurs and so he could state that the object should have been a key.
When asked to pick up the item with his right hand, the participant located the key and stated “I think the ring is the correct object.” This shows that the word ring was processed by his left hemisphere which verbally processed the word and controlled the right hand to pick up the item.
(585 WORDS) The stimulus must be presented for a brief amount of time to ensure that the word is only in the left or right visual field, and is therefore exclusively sent to and processed by one hemisphere of the