Simultaneous and successive cognitive processes in brain damaged adults: Hemispheric and anterior-posterior effects

Abstract

The relationship between simultaneous and successive processing and their assumed underlying neuro-anatomical structures was examined. According to the model of Das, Kirby, and Jarman (1975, 1979) simultaneous processing, occurs mainly in the posterior parts of the brain (parieto-occipital areas) and successive processing in anterior regions of the brain (fronto-temporal areas). The theory of lateralized hemispheric specialization suggests differences in processing due to right-left hemispheric differences. A battery of measures was factor-analyzed and simultaneous and successive factors identified in 106 brain-damaged adults and a control group. The brain damaged group was divided into four subgroups, left and right anterior and left and right posterior groups. The two-way ANOVA revealed no interactions (laterality x anterior/posterior), but instead two main effects for laterality on simultaneous verbal (p<.01) and successive (p<.05) processing and one weak (p<. 10) main effect for anterior/posterior divisions of simultaneous nonverbal processing. It was concluded that the results partially supported both assumed neuropsychological models of processing.