Functional cerebral asymmetry: a test of the selective activational model

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dc.contributor.authorDemakis, George J.en
dc.contributor.committeechairHarrison, David W.en
dc.contributor.committeememberStephens, Robert S.en
dc.contributor.committeememberSouthard, Douglas R.en
dc.contributor.departmentPsychologyen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:52:17Zen
dc.date.adate2009-12-23en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:52:17Zen
dc.date.issued1992-11-05en
dc.date.rdate2009-12-23en
dc.date.sdate2009-12-23en
dc.description.abstractTwo experiments were designed to selectively prime each cerebral hemisphere to evaluate Kinsbourne's selective activation model. The left hemisphere priming manipulation for both experiments was subvocal rehearsal of neutral words, whereas right hemisphere primes consisted of imagery (Experiment 1) and subvocal rehearsal of affective words (Experiment 2). Reaction time performance in the visual field contralateral to the activated hemisphere was hypothesized to improve. No evidence supporting this hypothesis was found in these experiments, though experimental tasks had significant interference effects. In Experiment 1, non-specific interference effects were found across visual fields for both experimental tasks, suggesting the hemispheres were not preferentially recruited. Right visual field interference was observed in Experiment 2 for subvocal rehearsal, particularly of affective words, implicating selective left hemisphere activation. This finding indicates an overloading of the left hemisphere's affective perceptual capabilities. Significantly, no equivalent right hemisphere effects were observed, suggesting different functional space characteristics for affect perception across the hemispheres. These findings appear to substantiate a structural rather than activational model of functional cerebral asymmetries, but interference effects do unequivocally support either model. Furthermore, in Experiment 2, neutral faces were perceived as angry equally often in both visual fields, though neutral faces in the control and affective rehearsal conditions were more frequently perceived as angry relative to the neutral rehearsal condition. Methodological issues are presented to account for these findings.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.extentvi, 72 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-12232009-020403en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-12232009-020403/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/46387en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V855_1992.D463.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 28646270en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V855 1992.D463en
dc.subject.lcshBrain -- Localization of functionsen
dc.subject.lcshCerebral dominance -- Testingen
dc.subject.lcshLateralityen
dc.titleFunctional cerebral asymmetry: a test of the selective activational modelen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplinePsychologyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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