Marty said
>In fact, there is. I think the pig story (although I loved it) is an unfair
>response to the question.
>
Then said::
>Beyond that, I think case studies (N=1) such as this one are a great way to
>generate ideas for doing research, or as jumping off points for lectures
>relating case studies to more controlled empirical research.
>
So:
I must have communicated badly because I was _intending_ to say the same
thing Marty said. (I.e., I apologize to Jeff in particular if the pig story
seemed condescending or dismissive- that's more a flaw in my communication
strategies.) The point of the pig story is that brains do strange and very
interesting things (and the use of a pig as speaker isn't meaningful to me-
it could just as well be any other species). Perhaps Marty is clearer in
that the story also means that the single talking pig would certainly be a
good indication to look for things in the brains of pigs that we don't
usually look for there. i.e., if someone's grandmother's brain is changed
in this way by damage to that part of the brain, even though we cannot
directly generalize too far, it does suggest that certain things may be
going on in brains in general that would lead to the further investigation
of something or even looking at the same line of research or same question
from a different, perhaps more open minded!, perspective.
What I was also getting at, to seeming bad effect, was that when a student
sees a loved one loose abilities from a stroke they are often not clear
what has been lost. My own family and experience includes examples of two
persons who ceased to speak as the result of a stroke. But I was in the
room with my own grandmother "muted by a stroke" when the shortstop for the
Braves dropped an easy grounder and she exclaimed, "that bum should be sent
to the minors, maybe traded for a popcorn vendor!". It turns out that
indeed she retained fluent speech when emotionally aroused but further
proding lead her to admit that she had always been able to speak but
jumbled everything up and was too embarassed to speak to anyone. (If you've
ever tried not to talk you also have to admire her will and
sticktuitiveness!!!)
Tim S.
_______________________________________________________
Timothy O. Shearon, PhD
Albertson College of Idaho
Department of Psychology
2112 Cleveland Blvd
Caldwell, Idaho
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
208-459-5840
