Maguire - Methodological Issues PDF

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Summary

Methodological issues in Maguires study...

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METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES RESEARCH METHODS AND TECHNIQUES

STRENGTHS Quasi-experiment - enables variables to be studied that could not be easily controlled

WEAKNESSES Quasi-experiment - causal conclusions are not justified as participants are not randomly allocated to conditions

TYPES OF DATA

STRENGTHS Quantitative data - allows clear comparisons to be made between the hippocampal regions of taxi drivers and controls

WEAKNESSES No qualitative data - could have enhanced the results by asking both taxi drivers and controls to describe their experiences of using spatial memory

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

STRENGTHS Informed consent participants are likely to have provided informed consent when taking part in this study as they were involved in a very specific procedure

WEAKNESSES The experience may of been more distressing than they anticipated, as a scanner is a very noisy, and possibly unpleasant, environment

RELIABILITY

STRENGTHS MRI - MRI is a standardised technique conducted in highly controlled conditions. Various measures were put in place to enhance the standardisation, such as the person counting the pixels was blind to the IV and the VBM results, which prevented any bias in the observations. Standardisation ensures greater consistency and enables others to replicate the study to confirm the results.

SAMPLING BIAS

STRENGTHS Matched participants design should reduce participant variables

ETHNOCENTRISM

The study only used British participants, and the experimental group, and likely the control group, consisted of people who lived in urban environments. It is possible that people who live in more rural settings have developed different way of using their spatial memory.

WEAKNESSES No females - females may have responded differently No left-handed people left-handed people may have been different, as they usually have right hemisphere dominance

LINKS TO DEBATES NATURE AND NURTURE The results of this research leave ‘open’ the issue of nature and nurture.

NATURE Nature plays a role if some people are genetically predisposed towards having a more plastic brain.

NURTURE Nurture is influential if experience of navigating London’s roads can cause changes to innate hippocampal volume.

PSYCHOLOGY IS A SCIENCE

Objective methods of measurement were used, following established and verifiable procedures. Experimental control techniques applied. Demonstrated a high degree of reliability in standardisation, that allowed replication.

USEFULNESS

This research could be useful in cases of brain damage because it shows that it is possible to increase the volume of grey matter through repeated use....