An analysis of the naming deficit of left-handers.
Left-handers have been found to have a naming deficit when confronted with briefly flashed words. Three alternative explanations of this deficit were tested: whether it was due to deviant interhemispheric cooperation, relatively diffuse neural organization, or left hemispheric dysfunction. In Experiment I, four words were presented for 190 ms, unilaterally (to a single hemisphere), or bilaterally (between the hemispheres). Although left-handers (N = 48) named significantly less than right-handers (N = 30), performance was parallel across hemispheric conditions. Experiment II required semantic categorization, but not naming. The performance of the left-handers (N = 27) was indistinguishable from that of right-handers (N = 27) both in terms of overall performance and interhemispheric collaboration. It is concluded that the linguistic deficit of left-handers is specific to oral naming and that it is not caused by deviant interhemispheric cooperation.
Liederman
J
J
Psychology Department, Boston University, MA 02215.
D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time