Hemispheric Differences in a Novelty Task (original) (raw)

The purpose of this study was to determine the part played by each hemisphere in a novelty detection task and the role of sex in cerebral asymmetries. Letter and line pairs were presented to the left or to the right visual field and the Subjects were instructed to report if the incoming stimulus had been a new one. Performance was scored recording to nonparametric estimates of sensitivity and criterion. The main results were : a) a clear-cut dissociation between the two measures; b) a greater sensitivity for the right visual field presentation, irrespective of the type of material and c) different effects on detection and response bias for men and for women. The importance of these findings with respect to lateralization and information processing is discussed.