Cerebral laterality was examined for third, fourth, and fifth grade deaf (N=30) and hearing (N=30) Ss. The experimental task involved the processing of word and picture stimuli presented singly to the right and left visual hemifields. The analyses indicated that deaf children were faster than the hearing children in overall processing efficiency,…

The linguistic role of the right hemisphere in bilingual language processing was examined. Ten right-handed Spanish-English bilinguals were tachistoscopically presented with mixed lists of Spanish and English words to either the right or left visual field and asked to identify the language and the word presented. Five of the subjects identified…

Research is reviewed concerning the current state of knowledge about normal hemispheric specialization; distinctions among such terms as dominance, laterality, and lateralization; and models of abnormal cerebral organization in dyslexic children. The question of dyslexic subtypes is undertaken along such dimensions as handedness, eyedness, and…

The human brain is lateralized, different functions being housed in each hemisphere. Several assumptions which are mistakenly considered fact by researchers include: (1) the left hemisphere is for rational functions, while the right is for intuitive functions; (2) the hemispheres do not interact as well with each other as they should; (3) the use…

The extent to which sex differences on a mental rotation test were related to ocular dominance, handedness, and familial handedness was explored. The Vandenberg revision of the Shepard-Metzlar mental rotation test was administered to 206 college students. The test consisted of 20 criterion figures, each followed by two correct and two incorrect…

Two studies examined the relationship between cognitive style as determined by conjugate lateral eye-movements and the ability to recognize correct inferences and specific items from textual and pictorial displays. Subjects were given related sets of sentences and pictures followed by separate inference and recognition memory tests. Results of…

This paper synthesizes the implications from hemispheric lateralization studies with the concerns and potentials of visual literacy. An overview of hemispheric lateralization research is provided, including summaries of four illustrative studies: Galin and Ornstein; Levy, Trevarthen, and Sperry; Zaidel; and Molfese. The appositional and holistic…

This paper examines the influence of Norman Geschwind's model of connectionism, in which complex functions are built up by connecting primary areas in the brain, and notes his studies of the effects of disconnection on dyslexic individuals. Connectionist-based behavioral studies are reviewed, focusing on intracortical association connections and…

Numerous areas associated with brain dominance have been researched since Bogen and Sperry's work with split-brain patients in the 1960s, but only slight attention has been given to the connection between brain dominance and personality. No study appears in the literature seeking to understand optimal mental health as defined by Maslow's…

The magnitude of the dichotic right ear advantage was assessed in 48 normal and 48 learning disabled (LD) children (mean age 8.3 years). Ss were matched according to age, sex, and handedness. An analysis of results indicated a significant right ear advantage in both the normal and LD children, but revealed no developmental trend for either group.…

Examined with 23 children (7-10 years old) with minimal brain dysfunction was the relation of handedness functions to early and diffuse brain damage. Ss and a group of 25 controls were given the Harris Tests for Lateral Dominance and the Halstead Finger Oscillation test. Results indicated a lowered performance level for both right and left hands…

Examined with 38 right-handed boys who were either dyslexic or normal readers and matched for age and IQ (mean age both groups=10.6, mean IQ normal readers=106, mean IQ dyslexic readers=105) were the weak, strong, and equal lateralization theories of dyslexia. Cerebral lateralization was measured for linguistic material (digits) using the dichotic…

In an investigation using auditory evoked responses (AERs) to compare strongly left- and strongly right-handed adults in their hemispheric processing of speech materials, it was anticipated that AERs would reflect a bilateralization in the left-handed group of subjects and marked hemispheric differences in the right-handed group. In addition, the…

Recent research in adult pronunciation of foreign languages has assigned a significant role to affective variables. It has been shown that certain language functions, including many aspects of pronunciation, are handled by the right brain hemisphere. An experiment was conducted to study the extent to which the right hemisphere might be activated…

The paper discusses curriculum materials and learning strategies suitable to the right hemisphere of the brain. Two limiting factors are noted--the difficulty in identifying non-pathological Ss who show right brain tendency, and asymmetry of the brain which makes empirical evaluation of the validity of these materials problematic. The paper…