Left and Right Hemispheric Differences in Memory for Word Information
A number of researchers have studied how the two hemispheres in the brain encode verbal stimuli. Studies done by Federmeier and Benjamin (2005), Marsolek, Kossyln & Squire (1992), and others have shown that the left hemisphere is more of an abstract system or gist based and the right hemisphere is more of a specific system or "veridically" based. I tested this hypothesis in the present study by having participants perform a memory task in which they had to recognize words that had been studied in the left and right visual fields. Study and test words varied in letter case; therefore, some words were studied in lowercase letters and tested in uppercase letters and vice versa. The use of letter case manipulation was a critical factor in the present study; it tested how well the left and right hemispheres are able to encode and retain verbal material regardless of its case forming. In the present study, the right hemisphere was more affected by the letter case manipulation than the left hemisphere. This finding is consistent with the theory that the left hemisphere is an abstract system and the right hemisphere is a specific system.
School:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Department:
Psychology
Research Advisor:
Kara Federmeier
Department of Research Advisor:
Psychology
Year of Publication:
2006