Time-of-day-induced priming effects on verbal and nonverbal dichotic tasks in male and female adult subjects.
Normal adults (32 males and 32 females) were tested for time-of-day related shifts in laterality and priming on two dichotic listening tasks using consonant-vowel combinations (CVs) and musical melodies. The predicted time-of-day effect on melodies was due to males showing low report in the morning, but not the afternoon, suggesting increased right hemisphere involvement in the afternoon. A time-of-day-induced priming effect on the laterality index for CVs differentiated males and females. Males tested morning-first were more lateralized than females, who in turn were more lateralized when tested afternoon-first. A time-of-day-induced priming effect on the laterality index for music indicated those tested afternoon-first showed an overall left ear advantage (LEA), whereas those tested morning-first showed an overall right ear advantage (REA). On raw music scores a sex-linked, time-of-day-induced priming effect was due to the prior presentation of CVs--that is, cognitive priming. Other priming effects on music were evident for order of stimulus presentation and order of ear attended. Implications for theory, research and pedagogy are discussed.
Morton
L L
LL
University of Windsor, Faculty of Education, Ontario, Canada.
Wojtowicz
M J
MJ
Williams
N H
NH
Kershner
J R
JR
D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D004007:Dichotic Listening Tests; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009146:Music; D000091402:Prohibitins; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*