Difference Between Sperry And Gazzaniga
Title and number of the article
1: “One Brain or Two?”
Who did the original study?
The original study was conducted by Roger W. Sperry and Michael Gazzaniga at the California Institute of Technology.
What are the reasons the researcher carried out the study?
One of the main reasons Sperry and Gazzaniga conducted the study because they wanted to see if the brain, when split into two hemispheres by severing the corpus callosum, could act as separate mental systems and act independently. Another reason was to see if the two brain halves had separate and unique abilities once separated. They wanted to prove whether or not humans could function normally if their brains were split
Identify the theoretical propositions or hypothesis on which the …show more content…
research is based.
Sperry and Gazzaniga’s theoretical propositions were varied and numerous. Firstly, they wanted to figure out once the halves were split, if the communication of the brain is halted, and if the human body’s right would be unable to coordinate with the left. Also, since one half of the brain is responsible for language, would the human not be able to speak or remember words after the surgery. Also, Sperry and Gazzaniga wanted to know if a human would be capable of functioning properly, and if the senses would be affected at all by the split.
Methods
Sperry and Gazzaniga conducted multiple studies during his split brain research.
Hock mentions three such studies. The first was created in order to study the visual abilities of the patients. In this study, a picture of an object, words, or parts of a word would only be transmitted to the visual area. The picture would only be see in either the left or right hemisphere. With only the patient’s eyes focussed on a certain point, the picture would be only be sent to the left or right side of the brain. The second study was to understand the split brain’s influence on touch stimulation. The patients could only feel and object or block letters/words. The apparatus created has a screen with an area underneath so the patient could touch the items hidden from their view. This way, a picture of an object could be sent to one side of the brain, while the patient would try to find the object behind the screen with their hands. The final study was aimed to test the patient’s auditory abilities. Since it was impossible to only send sound to one side of the brain, Sperry and Gazzaniga instead limited the response to sound. Several objects were put into a bag, and the patient had to verbally say what it was while holding the object in their left hand. The two hemispheres of the brain are not able to respond to the task the same, making it difficult for the patients to identify what the object …show more content…
was.
Give a brief summary of the results.
The results of the study were actually fascinating.
With the visual test, Sperry and Gazzaniga found that the right side of the brain was blind. When asked to explain what they saw when lights flashed on the left and right, they claimed to only see the lights on the left. When asked to point at the lights they saw, the patients pointed to all the lights. This means that the patients actually saw the lights, but just could not verbally say they did. To simplify it, for humans to verbally say they saw something, they need to see it with their left hemisphere. In the touch stimulation test, the patients were told to put their hands behind their backs and hold an object, then try to identify it. If the object was in their right hand, it goes to the left hemisphere and the patients were able to name the object. If put into their left hands, the patients could not name or describe it, even if they could when in their other hand. This happens because when it is in their left hand, it goes to the right hemisphere. The right hemisphere does not conduct language, and since it cannot go to the left hemisphere, the patients just can not identify the object. In the visual and touch tests, the patients could identify an object by touch after looking at picture only when showed to their left hemisphere. Overall, the conclusion of the study was that two brains, if hemisphere are split do exist. Each side has a different set of uses and
abilities.
Why is the study significant to the field of psychology?
The study is significant to the field of psychology because Sperry and Gazzaniga showed that the two halves of the brain perform different special skills and abilities. That the right brain is better at remembering faces, problem solving, reasoning, and artistic skills. The left brain is better at math, speaking, language and reading. Their research spurred on an increase study of the brain, which eventually led to discoveries about how to help stroke victims or serious head injuries.
How has this study been questioned or criticized by others in the field?
Sperry and Gazzaniga’s findings have actually rarely been criticized by other psychologists. The criticism that does exists is mostly focused on the way right and let brain has receded into the media and pop culture. That the myth of being more left or right brained, or how one side needs to be developed more than another in order to become more skilled has caused psychologists to be determined to kill the myth.
1: “One Brain or Two?”
Who did the original study?
The original study was conducted by Roger W. Sperry and Michael Gazzaniga at the California Institute of Technology.
What are the reasons the researcher carried out the study?
One of the main reasons Sperry and Gazzaniga conducted the study because they wanted to see if the brain, when split into two hemispheres by severing the corpus callosum, could act as separate mental systems and act independently. Another reason was to see if the two brain halves had separate and unique abilities once separated. They wanted to prove whether or not humans could function normally if their brains were split
Identify the theoretical propositions or hypothesis on which the …show more content…
research is based.
Sperry and Gazzaniga’s theoretical propositions were varied and numerous. Firstly, they wanted to figure out once the halves were split, if the communication of the brain is halted, and if the human body’s right would be unable to coordinate with the left. Also, since one half of the brain is responsible for language, would the human not be able to speak or remember words after the surgery. Also, Sperry and Gazzaniga wanted to know if a human would be capable of functioning properly, and if the senses would be affected at all by the split.
Methods
Sperry and Gazzaniga conducted multiple studies during his split brain research.
Hock mentions three such studies. The first was created in order to study the visual abilities of the patients. In this study, a picture of an object, words, or parts of a word would only be transmitted to the visual area. The picture would only be see in either the left or right hemisphere. With only the patient’s eyes focussed on a certain point, the picture would be only be sent to the left or right side of the brain. The second study was to understand the split brain’s influence on touch stimulation. The patients could only feel and object or block letters/words. The apparatus created has a screen with an area underneath so the patient could touch the items hidden from their view. This way, a picture of an object could be sent to one side of the brain, while the patient would try to find the object behind the screen with their hands. The final study was aimed to test the patient’s auditory abilities. Since it was impossible to only send sound to one side of the brain, Sperry and Gazzaniga instead limited the response to sound. Several objects were put into a bag, and the patient had to verbally say what it was while holding the object in their left hand. The two hemispheres of the brain are not able to respond to the task the same, making it difficult for the patients to identify what the object …show more content…
was.
Give a brief summary of the results.
The results of the study were actually fascinating.
With the visual test, Sperry and Gazzaniga found that the right side of the brain was blind. When asked to explain what they saw when lights flashed on the left and right, they claimed to only see the lights on the left. When asked to point at the lights they saw, the patients pointed to all the lights. This means that the patients actually saw the lights, but just could not verbally say they did. To simplify it, for humans to verbally say they saw something, they need to see it with their left hemisphere. In the touch stimulation test, the patients were told to put their hands behind their backs and hold an object, then try to identify it. If the object was in their right hand, it goes to the left hemisphere and the patients were able to name the object. If put into their left hands, the patients could not name or describe it, even if they could when in their other hand. This happens because when it is in their left hand, it goes to the right hemisphere. The right hemisphere does not conduct language, and since it cannot go to the left hemisphere, the patients just can not identify the object. In the visual and touch tests, the patients could identify an object by touch after looking at picture only when showed to their left hemisphere. Overall, the conclusion of the study was that two brains, if hemisphere are split do exist. Each side has a different set of uses and
abilities.
Why is the study significant to the field of psychology?
The study is significant to the field of psychology because Sperry and Gazzaniga showed that the two halves of the brain perform different special skills and abilities. That the right brain is better at remembering faces, problem solving, reasoning, and artistic skills. The left brain is better at math, speaking, language and reading. Their research spurred on an increase study of the brain, which eventually led to discoveries about how to help stroke victims or serious head injuries.
How has this study been questioned or criticized by others in the field?
Sperry and Gazzaniga’s findings have actually rarely been criticized by other psychologists. The criticism that does exists is mostly focused on the way right and let brain has receded into the media and pop culture. That the myth of being more left or right brained, or how one side needs to be developed more than another in order to become more skilled has caused psychologists to be determined to kill the myth.