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Field Dependence and Lateralization of Verbal and Configurational Processing

Author(s):
Oltman, Philip K.; Zoccolotti, Pierluigi
Publication Year:
1976
Report Number:
RB-76-38
Source:
ETS Research Bulletin
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
19
Subject/Key Words:
Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, National Institute of Mental Health, Cognitive Processes, Field Dependence Independence, Cerebral Dominance, Tachistoscopes, Visual Stimuli

Abstract

With tachistoscopic presentation, relatively field-independent 18- to 30-year-old males were found to show a significant right-visual-field advantage in reaction time in a letter discrimination task, while relatively fielddependent subjects did not show a significant hemifield difference. In a second study, relatively field independent 18- to 30-year-old males again showed a significant right visual superiority in reaction time to letter discrimination, and in addition showed a significant leftvisua superiority in tachistoscopic face discrimination, while relatively field dependent subjects showed no significant hemifield difference on either task. The results are interpreted as indicating a link between Witkin's concept of psychological differentiation and differentiation at the neural level, as manifested by specialization of function of the cerebral hemispheres. (19pp.)

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