Effect of Lateral Eye Fixation on Cognitive Processes

Abstract

Fourth grade children responded to verbal and spatial problems drawn from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. 24 responded to verbal problems while attending to the right visual field and to spatial problems while attending to the left visual field; 24 fixed attention to the left visual field during verbal problems and to the right visual field during spatial problems. A final 24 children fixed their attention centrally while responding to both sets of problems. There were no significant differences among the groups for verbal performance. Spatial problems were dealt with least effectively during right visual-field eye-fixation. Perhaps right visual-field fixation during a spatial task leads to interference with capacity and from functional distance. Left visual-field fixation might be facilitating as a result of functional closeness but this facilitation is offset by interference with capacity making the over-all result not significantly different from that for the control group. Verbal centers may be insulated against effects of interference.