PSY 102 Psychology in the Modern World

Instructor: Bob Melara

Fall 2016
FUN PAPER # 2
Due Date: Monday, October 31st, 2016, by 5 pm on **Blackboard**
The Divided Brain
The goal of Fun Paper #2 is to use the correlational method to think more deeply about the divided brain. In
particular, we want you to use correlations to study the psychological experience of split-brain patients. We
learned in class that these patients provide a window into the separate functions of the two hemispheres. We
called this separation of function laterality. In people with intact brains the separate functions seem to blend
together seamlessly. We might hypothesize that, in intact brains, there would be a strong relationship between
functions typically performed by the left hemisphere and those performed by the right hemisphere. We might
hypothesize further that, in split brains, the relationship between hemispheres would disappear. The
correlational method might be an appropriate technique for testing this hypothesis.
For Fun Paper #2, we want you to write a paper that evaluates the adequacy of the correlational method to
study laterality in split-brain patients. First, title your paper Using the Correlational Method to Study the
Divided Brain. Next: FOLLOW EACH OF THE FOLLOWING FIVE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY (The
following is a detailed outline on how you should write this paper):
Your paper should consist of five paragraphs corresponding to the 5 questions below. DO NOT write an
outlined paper: it needs to be in essay format. Within each paragraph, please be clear on which letter you
are answering by placing a bold letter in front of the sentences. If you are answering 1a place a letter
a before the sentence/s. (Heres an example: The purpose of this paper is to use the correlational method to
examine the relationship between functions of the left and right hemispheres. I will compare the performance of
people with intact brains with the performance of so-called split-brain patients. In many ways, the brains of
these two groups are very similar. 1 a. The location of the brainstem in the normal brain is)
1. Begin the first paragraph of the paper with these sentences: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the
correlational method as a means for examining the relationship between functions of the left and right
hemispheres. I will compare the performance of people with intact brains with the performance of so-called
split-brain patients. In many ways, the brains of these two groups are very similar.
a. Describe the location and function of the brainstem of the normal brain. What differences, if any,
are there between the function of the normal brainstem and that of the split-brain brainstem? (4
pts).
b. Describe the location and function of the hippocampus of the normal brain. What differences, if
any, are there between the anatomy of the normal hippocampus and the anatomy of the split-brain
hippocampus? (4 pts).
c. Describe the location and function of the corpus callosum in the normal brain. What differences, if
any, are there between the anatomy of the normal corpus callosum and that of the split-brain corpus
callosum? (4 pts)
d. Describe the location and function of the cerebral cortex of the normal brain. What differences, if
any, are there between the function of the normal cerebral cortex and that of the split-brain cerebral
cortex? (4 pts).
2. Begin the next paragraph with this sentence: The split brain patient provides scientists with a window into
the normal functions of the brain.

Fun Paper #2
Fall 2016

a. Describe the split-brain patient, including what condition they suffer from and the surgical technique
used to treat it. (4 pts)
b. Describe a test of the split-brain patient used to demonstrate that language function is lateralized to
one hemisphere. (5 pts)
c. Explain how the results with split-brain patients can be used to understand laterality in the general
population. (3 pts)
3. Begin the next paragraph with these sentences: Cognitive tests performed on split-brain patients have
identified a division of labor between hemispheres. It is conceivable that functions handled by the different
hemispheres will show a strong relationship in the general population, but not in split-brain patients.
a. Identify four brain functions that are lateralized to the left hemisphere. Identify four functions
lateralized to the right hemisphere. (6 pts)
b. State the hypothesis to be evaluated in your paper. (4 pts)
c. Describe how you will use the correlational method to evaluate the hypothesis. (5 pts)
4. At the bottom of this assignment are data from two groups of participants, one group of 10 split-brain
patients and one group of 10 participants from the general population. Both groups were tested on three
cognitive tasks: (1) a vocabulary test, (2) a logical reasoning task, and (3) a face recognition task. The
tables contain the participants scores on these tests, higher scores indicating better performance. In Lab #1
we used the following formula to calculate the correlation coefficient:

The Formula: r = III/ I(II)

We broke this formula into three terms:
I= N (Sum X2) (Sum X)2
II= N (Sum Y2) (Sum Y)2
III= N (Sum of XY) Sum X (Sum Y)
Begin the fourth paragraph with these sentences: Data were collected from a group of split-brain patients and a
group from the general population to test the hypothesis using the correlational method. Each group completed
three tasks shown previously to be lateralized: (1) a vocabulary test, (2) a logical reasoning task, and (3) a face
recognition task.
a. Indicate the hemisphere to which each of the three tasks is lateralized. (4 pts)
b. State your predictions about the pattern of correlations among the three tasks in each group if the
hypothesis under investigation is correct. (7 pts)
c. Using the formula to compute the correlation coefficient between each pair of cognitive tasks,
separately for each group of participants (N.B. Thats 6 correlation coefficients in total). For each
coefficient, state the computed value of each of the four terms of the formula (i.e., r, I, II, and III).
(6 pts)
5. Begin the final paragraph with these sentences: The results of the correlational method were valuable in
addressing the hypothesis under study. However, future investigations may need to adopt techniques that
improve upon those used here.
a. Restate the hypothesis under study. Are the results of the correlational analysis consistent with the
hypothesis? Why or why not? ( 4 pts)
b. Is there any aspect of the results that does not readily fit with the hypothesis? What alternative
explanation would you give for these findings? ( 4 pts)
c. Describe a feature of the current correlational technique that could be improved if you were to
repeat the study. (3 pts)
d. Can correlational studies be used to evaluate hypotheses or should we only use experiments instead?
Defend your answer. (4 pts)

Fun Paper #2
Fall 2016

e. Describe an experiment that you would perform to test the hypothesis evaluated in this paper. (5
pts)
A fifth of your grade will be based on the following:
a.
Clarity of thesis development (4pts)
b.
Clarity of papers structure and organization (4pts)
c.
Thoroughness in development of evidence (4pts)
d.
Good mechanics (grammar, punctuation, usage) and style of writing (4pts)
e.
Competence in quantitative reasoning and analysis of research findings (4pts)

Due by 5:00 pm on MONDAY, October 31st, 2016. Late papers will not be accepted.
All papers need to be submitted electronically using the Assignment tool on Blackboard to upload
your paper. Click Assignments (on Tool Bar) -> Click link to Fun Paper #2 -> Click Attach
Local File -> Browse for your file -> Click Submit.
With the exception of the instructed sentences, the entire paper must be in your own words, in essay
format & type written (double spaced) using Microsoft Word in .doc format.
Quoted, paraphrased or borrowed sentences or phrases are not allowed. These will be regarded as
plagiarism, which will be penalized by a zero on the assignment and a report filed with the Office of
the Academic Integrity Official.
The paper should not exceed 4 pages.

Data on 10 Intact Participants and 10 Split-Brain Participants Performing

Vocabulary, Logical Reasoning, and Face Recognition Tests.

Fun Paper #2
Fall 2016