A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

What was concluded about the right hemisphere (RH) during the experiments conducted by Sperry et al (1968)?

1. The RH is responsible for verbal communication

2. The RH can respond but does not verbally communicate

3. The RH is the primary area for visual processing

4. The RH functions independently of the left hemisphere

The correct answer is: The RH can respond but does not verbally communicate

The conclusion that the right hemisphere can respond but does not verbally communicate is supported by the findings of Sperry et al's experiments with split-brain patients. These patients had undergone surgery that severed the corpus callosum, the structure that connects the two hemispheres of the brain. As a result of this disconnection, the right hemisphere could effectively process visual and tactile information presented to it but lacked the verbal capabilities seen in the left hemisphere. In the experiments, when stimuli were presented to the right visual field, which is processed by the left hemisphere, the patients could readily name and verbally describe the items. Conversely, when stimuli were presented to the left visual field, processed by the right hemisphere, the patients often could not verbally articulate what they had seen despite being able to react to it or select it with their left hand. This indicates that while the right hemisphere could respond to visual stimuli, it does not have the capacity for verbal communication, which is predominantly associated with the left hemisphere. Thus, the conclusion reflects the unique functions and limitations of each hemisphere, particularly emphasizing the inability of the right hemisphere to engage in verbal expression despite its ability to process and respond to information.