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MOdule 13

Terms in this set (40)

corpus callosum
the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
split brain
a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them
Counciousness
our awareness of ourselves and our environment
cognitive neuroscience
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)
dual processing
the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
Wha is lateralization?
the differing functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain
Lateralization is important in the way our brain functions because
research over the years has shown that damage to one hemisphere or the other can produce different problems and knowing this can help predict behavior
What is meant by the term Split brain
term used to describe the brain after cutting the corpus callous.
is it correct to refer to split Bain as "having 2 brains"
no- this is not two brains but rather one brain with two hemispheres that no longer communicate
What hemisphere is used for reading, writing, speaking, and certain arithmetic reasoning/calculating
left hemiphere
What hemisphere is used for perceptual tasks, making inferences, modulating speech, and orchestrating our sense of self
right hemiphere
Why do the tasks listed above lend themselves to the myth that we are "right" or "left" brained?Why this myth is erroneous
strength in any task is not due solely to the activation of structures in only one hemisphere but is a coordinated, holistic process that includes the entire brain
explain the step-by-step why Gazzanig'as patients were able to say the word "ART"
-ART was flashed in the right visual field of the screen and was transmitted to the left hemisphere of the brain.
-the left hemisphere contains language centers such as Broca's and Wernicke's area and is able to send a signal to the motor cortex to direct the person to say "ART"
explain the step-by-step why Gazzanig'as patients were able to point to the word "HE" with their left hand
-"HE" was flashed in the left visual field of the screen and was transmitted to the right hemisphere of the brain
-the right hemiphere controls the motor coordination of the left side of the body and will direct the left arm to point to the word HE
What is the relationship between handedness and speech processing?
96% of the right-handers process speech in the left hemisphere; 70% of left-handers process speech in the left hemisphere. the remainder process speech in either the right or both hemispheres
How does split-brain research help us understand the functions of our 2 brain hemisphere
by severing the corpus callous and the communication between each hemisphere, researches can study the functions of each hemisphere separately
how is cognitive neuroscience changing the way we understand mental processes
it relates specific brain states to conscious experiences and thus helps us to understand the "how" of the brain
How does consciousness help humans survive
it helps us act in our long-term interests by considering consequences rather than merely seeking short-term pleasure and avoiding pain. It also promotes our survival by anticipating how we seem to others and helping us read their minds.
What is dual processing?
the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
example of dual processing
vision, which is made up a visual perception track and a visual action track
how does the example of the hollow face illusion (13.7) demonstrate dual processing
our conscious mind sees the illusion as a protruding mask, yet our unconscious mind will reach into the inverted mask to flick off a bugle target. What our conscious mind does not know, our unconscious mind does.
Jonathon undergoes an MRI and his doctor discovers a tumor in the left hemisphere of his brain. Which of the following functions may be impacted by this tumor?
his ability to speak
Myung Li was involved in a car crash and suffered severe injuries tot he right side of her head. Her doctor has been giving her a battery of tests to determine to what extent her various functions are affected. In a remote-associates test in which Myung Li view 3 words and is ask to produce a 4 word that would be able to pair with each of the 3 words to produce a new word, Mylung Li is likely to
be unable to make the inference necessary to produce the word
In Michael Gazzaniga's classic "HEART" experiment with split-brain patients, he found that patients were able to
use their right hand to point to the word "ART"
in a controlled replication of Gazzaniga's experiment, when shown an image of a frog in the visual field and an image of a football in the right visual field, split-brain patients were able to correctly
use their left hand to point to a picture of a frog
in order to reduce or eliminate epileptic seizures in patients, surgeons Philip Vogel and Joseph Bogen severed
the corpus callousum
a split-brain patient has a picture of a dog flashed to his right hemisphere and a cat to his left hemisphere. He will be able to identify the
cat using his right hand
You are aware that a dog is viciously barking at you, but you are not aware of the type of dog. Later, you are able to describe the type and color of the dog. This ability to process information without conscious awareness best exemplifies which of the following?
dual processing
which of the following is most likely to be a function of the left hemisphere
evaluating perceptual tasks
the dual-processing model refers to
Incoming information is processed by both conscious and unconscious tracks.
Brain lateralization means that each hemisphere has its own functions. Give an example of both a left and right hemisphere function and how they communicate with each other
-left hemisphere functions include language, math and logic
-right hemisphere functions include spatial relationships, facial recognition, and patterns
-the corpus callous carries information back and forth between the 2 hemispheres
Because Jerry suffered severe seizures, his neurosurgeon decided to "split his brain." What does this mean? How might a psychologist use people who have had split-brain surgery to determine the location of speech control?
involves severing the corpus callosum, so information cannot travel between the 2 brain hemispheres
Damage to the left cerebral hemisphere is most likely to reduce people's ability to
solve arithmetic problems
the corpus callosum is a wide band of neural fibers that
transmit information between the cerebral hemisphere
Neurosurgeons have severed the corpus callosum in human patients in order to reduce
epileptic seizures
If a picture of a comb is briefly flashed in the left visual field of a split-brain patient, she should be able to:
use her left hand to draw a picture of a comb
most cases of alien hand syndrome involve some damage to the
corpus callosum
In a recent car accident, Tamiko sustained damage to his right cerebral hemisphere. This injury is most likely to reduce Tamiko's ability to
facially express emotions
people typically recognize ___________ more rapidly and accurately when they are flashed to the left hemisphere; they typically recognize_________ more rapidly and accurately when they are flashed to the right hemisphere
words; pictures
babies favor the ____ side of their mouth when beginning a smile and the ____ side when babbling
left; right
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