Assignment Problem:
Prof. J.R. is interested in using fMRI to examine how the brain processes written language. She includes the following conditions in her scanning: (#1) reading single word nouns (e.g., "hammer"), (#2) reading full sentences (e.g., "The hammer was used to pound the nail"), (#3) reading full sentences with the words in scrambled order (e.g., "Pound the used the hammer nail was"), and (#4) staring at a blank screen.
(a) In only one (1) sentence, make a clear conceptual argument for the potential value of this cognitive neuroscience research.
(b) Suppose Prof. J.R. scans 25 participants using the four conditions detailed above. She then views the brain activity associated with condition #3 only and declares that this brain activity reflects a grammatical processing network. Evaluate the validity of this inference, taking care to discuss the value of the subtraction method in this context.
(c) Suppose Prof. J.R. averages together the brain activity found in both grammatical and ungrammatical sentences, and then compares this brain activity to the blank screen condition. Clarify the possible value of this approach, and articulate and explain three (3) distinct, reasonable possibilities in terms of what this brain activity could reflect from a cognitive standpoint.