Effects of Learning Experience on Bihemispheric Processing

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of learning experience on benefits of bihemispheric processing. First, right-handed students were given the paired-associated learning task that required them to memorize the pairs of a familiar-font letter with an unfamiliar-font letter. After this task, both the letters were presented in the unilateral (UVF) and bilateral visual-fields (BVF) (Test 1). They were asked to decide if both the letters were the match. Second, the learning task was given to them, followed by the same letter-matching task (Test 2). The results showed that a UVF-advantage in Test 1 shifted toward a BVF-advantage in Test 2. These findings suggested that, as the amount of learning increased, the benefits of bihemispheric processing would be enhanced.

Familiarity with words modulates interhemispheric interactions in visual word recognition

“…We were able to assume high proficiency in the processing of words with high familiarity and low proficiency in the processing of words with low familiarity. We quantitatively measured subjective familiarity with words by self-report so that we divided the familiarity condition into four categories, which is a more precise way to examine the effect of familiarity on the interhemispheric interaction than the previous studies, such as Yoshizaki and Hatta (2005). The only significance of the bilateral gain at the greatest familiar word condition in the current study suggests the significant mediation of familiarity on the cooperative interaction between the two hemispheres.…”

“…The second is to examine interhemispheric interaction in word processing using word and pseudoword stimuli. For example, subjects in the study of Yoshizaki and Hatta (2005) performed alphabet-matching task, which relies more on memory rather than word processing. Yoshizaki and Hatta (2005) found the benefits of bihemispheric processing as the amount of learning increased, which is in line with the findings of the current study albeit it used the lateralized lexical decision task for the investigation of interhemispheric interaction.…”

“…For example, subjects in the study of Yoshizaki and Hatta (2005) performed alphabet-matching task, which relies more on memory rather than word processing. Yoshizaki and Hatta (2005) found the benefits of bihemispheric processing as the amount of learning increased, which is in line with the findings of the current study albeit it used the lateralized lexical decision task for the investigation of interhemispheric interaction. It contributes to generalizing the findings of such previous studies, i.e., Yoshizaki and Hatta (2005).…”