Core Study - Maguire et Al;(Key information for a few of
the Core Studies featured on the Psychology OCR AS
Level specification.)
What was the aim of Maguire et al's study?
To investigate whether changes (plasticity) could be detected in the brains of London
taxi drivers and to further investigate the functions of the hippocampus in spatial
memory.
What was the hypothesis of Maguire et al's study?
If there were any differences in the brains of those who rely heavily on spatial
navigational skills in their working life, then these differences would be found in their
hippocampus.
Outline the sample used in Maguire et al's study.
- 16 healthy, right handed male licensed taxi drivers
- Mean age 44 (range 32-62 years)
- All participants licensed London taxi drivers for more than one and a half years and
had completed the knowledge course
- Control group of 16 non-taxi drivers, matched on age range of taxi drivers
Name a limitation of the sample
Sample does not include women or left-handed people. This is a limitation as there are
likely to be female London taxi drivers, and it may be that female navigational ability
may be different from males due to stereotype views about female drivers. This means
that any conclusions drawn will not be representative of all London taxi drivers and so
the study cannot be generalised of the whole population.
What was the experimental method of the study?
Quasi experiment - IV was not manipulated by the experimenter as it already existed
within participants.
Outline the procedure of the study
MRI scans were performed (by measuring soft tissue by exposing the brain to a strong
magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the brain).
Name a strength and weakness of MRI scans
Strength - Objective, and provides quantitative data
Weakness - Only observes structure, doesn't tell active function of the brain
What methods did the researchers use to analyse the images produced from the
MRI scans?
VBM - Measures density of grey matter in the brain. It provides a three-dimensional
measurement of the volume of an area.
Pixel Counting - Measures volume of hippocampus. it provides a two-dimensional
measurement of an area.
Outline the results of the VBM
VBM -
Taxi Drivers
-increase in grey matter in the left and right hippocampus. The increase was limited to
the POSTERIOR.
the Core Studies featured on the Psychology OCR AS
Level specification.)
What was the aim of Maguire et al's study?
To investigate whether changes (plasticity) could be detected in the brains of London
taxi drivers and to further investigate the functions of the hippocampus in spatial
memory.
What was the hypothesis of Maguire et al's study?
If there were any differences in the brains of those who rely heavily on spatial
navigational skills in their working life, then these differences would be found in their
hippocampus.
Outline the sample used in Maguire et al's study.
- 16 healthy, right handed male licensed taxi drivers
- Mean age 44 (range 32-62 years)
- All participants licensed London taxi drivers for more than one and a half years and
had completed the knowledge course
- Control group of 16 non-taxi drivers, matched on age range of taxi drivers
Name a limitation of the sample
Sample does not include women or left-handed people. This is a limitation as there are
likely to be female London taxi drivers, and it may be that female navigational ability
may be different from males due to stereotype views about female drivers. This means
that any conclusions drawn will not be representative of all London taxi drivers and so
the study cannot be generalised of the whole population.
What was the experimental method of the study?
Quasi experiment - IV was not manipulated by the experimenter as it already existed
within participants.
Outline the procedure of the study
MRI scans were performed (by measuring soft tissue by exposing the brain to a strong
magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the brain).
Name a strength and weakness of MRI scans
Strength - Objective, and provides quantitative data
Weakness - Only observes structure, doesn't tell active function of the brain
What methods did the researchers use to analyse the images produced from the
MRI scans?
VBM - Measures density of grey matter in the brain. It provides a three-dimensional
measurement of the volume of an area.
Pixel Counting - Measures volume of hippocampus. it provides a two-dimensional
measurement of an area.
Outline the results of the VBM
VBM -
Taxi Drivers
-increase in grey matter in the left and right hippocampus. The increase was limited to
the POSTERIOR.
