A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

How long were the images displayed on the screen during the Sperry et al (1968) experiment?

1. 0.5 seconds

2. 1 second

3. 0.1 seconds

4. 2 seconds

The correct answer is: 0.1 seconds

In the Sperry et al. (1968) experiment, images were indeed presented for a very brief period, specifically at around 0.1 seconds. This short duration was critical to the study's design, as it ensured that the information presented would enter only one hemisphere of the brain without being processed by the other. By limiting the exposure time, the researchers could effectively investigate the capabilities and functioning of each hemisphere independently, which was particularly important for understanding the split-brain phenomenon following patients’ hemispherectomies. The choice of this timing helped to create a clear distinction in responses between the left and right hemispheres.