Evaluation of dichotic listening as a measure of the organisation of linguistic and reading skills
The REA (right ear advantage) normally obtained following free recall of strings of dichotic stimuli has frequently been used to indicate the degree and/or the direction of hemispheric lateralisation for language. Examination of subjects free recall responses in this series of 9 experiments suggests that a substantial contribution to the variance that makes up REA comes from subject response factors. It is suggested that the REA obtained .under free recall conditions is a considerably less accurate measure of ear/hemisphere asymmetries than previous research has assumed. Subject response factors appeared to be reduced when ordered recall was used. A review of the literature shows that control for order of report is rarely exercised in dichotic listening experiments and that free recall is almost always used. Proportions of left and right handed adult subjects who showed a REA were similar to those predicted by the Wada test only when the relatively difficult task of 4 pairs of stimuli and ORDERED RECALL was used. Further experiments suggested that subject response factors appeared to exert a greater influence on REA when children were used as subjects than when adults were used and that they were considerably
Terrell, C. D.
Linguistics
Evaluation of dichotic listening as a measure of the organisation of linguistic and reading skills. The REA (right ear advantage) normally obtained following free recall of strings of dichotic stimuli has frequently been used to indicate the degree and/or the direction of hemispheric lateralisation for language. Examination of subjects free recall responses in this series of 9 experiments suggests that a substantial contribution to the variance that makes up REA comes from subject response factors. It is suggested that the REA obtained .under free recall conditions is a considerably less accurate measure of ear/hemisphere asymmetries than previous research has assumed. Subject response factors appeared to be reduced when ordered recall was used. A review of the literature shows that control for order of report is rarely exercised in dichotic listening experiments and that free recall is almost always used. Proportions of left and right handed adult subjects who showed a REA were similar to those predicted by the Wada test only when the relatively difficult task of 4 pairs of stimuli and ORDERED RECALL was used. Further experiments suggested that subject response factors appeared to exert a greater influence on REA when children were used as subjects than when adults were used and that they were considerably
evaluation listening measure organisation linguistic reading skill rea right ear advantage normally obtain follow free recall string stimulus frequently_use indicate degree and direction hemispheric language examination subject free recall responses series suggest substantial variance make rea come subject response factor suggest rea obtain under free recall condition considerably less accurate measure ear hemisphere previous assumed subject response factor appear reduced order recall use review_literature show control order report rarely exercise listen free recall almost_always use leave right hand adult subject show rea similar predict test relatively difficult task pair stimuli ordered recall use suggest subject response factor appear exert great_influence rea child use subject adult use considerably