title: Support for lateralization of the Whorf effect beyond the realm of color discrimination.
abstract: Recent work has shown that Whorf effects of language on color discrimination are stronger in the right visual field than in the left. Here we show that this phenomenon is not limited to color: The perception of animal figures (cats and dogs) was more strongly affected by linguistic categories for stimuli presented to the right visual field than those presented to the left. Moreover, the magnitude of the visual field asymmetry was reduced when demands on verbal working memory were increased by a secondary task. This reduction did not occur when the secondary task imposed demands on spatial working memory. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the lateralized Whorf effect may be quite general, reflecting an interaction of linguistic and perceptual codes primarily in the left hemisphere.
authors.affiliation: Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. mayfly@berkeley.edu
authors.forename: Aubrey L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Regier
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Ivry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult