Blakemore and Cooper by https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd 1970 en-us 2017-03-12 08:22:36 UTC 2017-03-12 08:58:02 UTC hello@padlet.com Aim 11skiltono https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159475910 The aim of this experiment was to investigate the physiological and behavioural effects of a limited visual experience and whether brain development/plasticity occurs due to experiences rather than nature.]]> 2017-03-12 08:28:17 UTC https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159475910 Participants 11skiltono https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159475963 2 laboratory-raised kittens that were housed in complete darkness until 2 weeks of age. ]]> 2017-03-12 08:29:34 UTC https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159475963 Background Research 11skiltono https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476050 2017-03-12 08:32:31 UTC https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476050 Background 11skiltono https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476117 One of the series of researches that lead to a Nobel Prize was done by Hubel and Wiesel. In 1958 they accidentally discovered neurons in Cats that respond to edges with different orientation; they named these neurons “simple cells“. These neurons was later discovered to be in orientation columns and has profound impact on many computer vision algorithms such as the Gabor filter.]]> 2017-03-12 08:34:37 UTC https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476117 Method 11skiltono https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476177 The kittens had to stand on a clear glass platform which was inside a tall cylinder of which the inner surface was covered with either horizontal or vertical black-and-white stripes. Additionally, there were no corners or edges in their environment. The kittens’ visual field was restricted to 130 degrees, as they were required to wear a wide black collar. This prevented them from seeing their own body and ‘beyond their world of stripes’. Blakemore and Cooper defended the ethics of the study by stating that the kittens did not seem distressed, as they inspected the walls of the tube for long periods of time.

After five months, exposure to the experimental conditions ended and the kittens were then placed for several hours a week from their dark cage to a small, well-lit furnished room. The Dependent Variable was then measured: this was whether kittens raised in a horizontal environment could detect vertically aligned objects and vice-versa. After 7 and a half months, two of the kittens, one from each environment were anaesthetised and their neurophysiology was examined.

]]> 2017-03-12 08:35:55 UTC https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476177 Results 11skiltono https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476229
The kitten's eyes developed normally, but their behaviour and brains did not. Even after time in the light, the kittens had poor visual tracking skills and depth perception. Different environments produced specific problems: the kittens failed to respond to objects in the orientation opposite to that which they had seen. Neurons in the brains of the kittens were also different, each lacking cells responding to the orientation of the line that they had not experienced. Most neurons however (75%), were binocular like those of a normal cat.]]> 2017-03-12 08:37:20 UTC https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476229 Conclusions 11skiltono https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476440 1) As there was no evidence that areas of the kittens brains were "silent", this suggests that changed are not a consequence of degeneration, but brain plasticity as the neurons matched their sensitivity to the stimulus they received. 
2) The difference between the differently reared kittens suggests that neurons change their preferred orientation according to the stimulation they receive, matching the ability of the brain to respond to the features in its visual input. ]]> 2017-03-12 08:42:04 UTC https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476440 Evaluation 11skiltono https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476492 Exposing animals to a dark room for two weeks and then up until 5 months of age a visually depriving environment, could be considered to be psychologically harmful for the kittens. However, Blakemore and Cooper reported no distress from the animals. Furthermore, the study complied with the ethical guidelines for animal research. It could also be argued that any harm to the animals were outweighed by the usefulness of this research. Blakemore and Cooper would argue that due to some physiological similarities between cats and humans, we can generalise results to humans. However, critics would argue against this due to obvious differences between the species. Furthermore, as the sample was very small (only 2 cats’ neurophysiology was examined) we may not be even able to generalise to other cats!
High internal validity as the two kittens as the two kittens were put into the same conditions for the same period of time and this could be easily replicated.
Both quantitative and qualitative data are present through the movement of the kittens and the kittens' visual cortex ]]> 2017-03-12 08:43:39 UTC https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476492 11skiltono https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476678
]]> 2017-03-12 08:47:53 UTC https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476678 Exam Questions 11skiltono https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476701 1) What was the aim of the study by Blakemore and Cooper? [2]
2) From the study by Blakemore and Cooper:
a. What is a laboratory experiment? [2]
b. Explain why the study is a lab experiment. [2]
3) Describe two controls used in the study by Blakemore and Cooper [2]]]> 2017-03-12 08:48:21 UTC https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159476701 Primary Visual Cortex 11skiltono https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159477019 Part of the Occipital Lobe. It produces a detailed 'map' of a visual image we see. It has regions devoted to different aspects of the stimulus such as the source, colour and individual features. The arrangement of neurons is highly organised 

]]> 2017-03-12 08:53:26 UTC https://padlet.com/11skiltono/p6l9ysjh3rmd/wish/159477019