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Psychology SAQ

This study used MRI scans to investigate how learning a new skill like juggling affects the brain. 24 participants were split into two groups - one that learned to juggle for 3 months and one that did not. MRI scans before, during, and after the study found that the juggling group developed more gray matter in the mid temporal area of the brain while learning, and this decreased after they stopped practicing. The scans of the non-juggling group did not change. The study demonstrated that the brain structurally adapts when acquiring new skills through increased gray matter.

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426 views1 page

Psychology SAQ

This study used MRI scans to investigate how learning a new skill like juggling affects the brain. 24 participants were split into two groups - one that learned to juggle for 3 months and one that did not. MRI scans before, during, and after the study found that the juggling group developed more gray matter in the mid temporal area of the brain while learning, and this decreased after they stopped practicing. The scans of the non-juggling group did not change. The study demonstrated that the brain structurally adapts when acquiring new skills through increased gray matter.

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유유하다
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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  • Brain Imaging Technique: Explores the use of MRI in understanding the relationship between brain structure and behavior, including study details and conclusions.

One technique (or one study into one technique) used to understand the brain and behavior

Brain imaging technique is used to observe the relationship between the brain structure and behavior.
MRI is an example of a brain imaging technique that shows a 3D image of the brain and a cross
section of the brain. It is used to help measure the area of the gray matter. It also allows people to see
the missing parts of the brain which appears as an empty black space. A study that used an MRI
technique to understand the behavior is conducted by Draganski (2006).

The aim of this study was to investigate if learning new skills, such as juggling, would affect the
brain. There were 24 participants (21 female and 3 male), the participants were all non-jugglers at
first. However, they were randomly allocated into two groups. The jugglers group and the
non-jugglers group. Before the start of the experiment, an MRI scan was done. Then, the jugglers
group were told to learn a 3-ball juggling routine for 3 months. While the non-jugglers group did not
do anything. After 3 months of the jugglers group learning juggling, a second MRI scan was done and
then the jugglers group were told to stop juggling. After another 3 months, a final MRI scan was done.
According to the results, in the first MRI scan, there was no significant difference between the
jugglers group and the non-jugglers group. However, in the second MRI scan, there was a bigger gray
matter in the juggler group in the mid temporal area. In the final MRI scan, the gray matter decreased,
but there were still more than the first scan. Whereas, the MRI for the non--jugglers group had no
change in their gray matter.

In conclusion, the gray matter increased in the brain in response to learning a new skill and shrank in
the absence of practice. The MRI scan could determine the gray matter in the mid temporal area. This
study was able to analyze the impact of learning a new skill in different brain structures who were
learning how to juggle by using MRI.

Localization (or one study into localization) of function and behavior

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