The role of the right hemisphere in processing negative sentences in context.
Given a pattern consisting of x1, x2,..., xn similar elements and y1, which is perceived as different from the former, it is more plausible to assert that y is not x rather than to assert that x is not y (Wason, J. verb. Learn verb. Behav. 4, 7-11, 1965). In order to appreciate such a difference, the entire set has to be considered. Right-hemisphere brain-damaged patients were submitted to a series of visually presented patterns, each pattern consisting of seven similar items and one dissimilar item. Their task was to complete a statement referring to a single element of each pattern. Statements were either simple affirmative or negative sentences. Errors and reaction times were recorded. Patients with a right-hemisphere injury were found to be insensitive to the plausible-implausible dimension in completing negative sentences. It is hypothesized that right-hemisphere brain-damaged patients are less adequate in this task because they are less capable in putting each element into the visual context.
V
V
D'Urso
G
G
Denes
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S
Testa
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C
Semenza
D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D011932:Reading; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology