The effect of response mode on lateralized lexical decision performance

Abstract

We examined the effect of manipulations of response programming, i.e. post-lexical decision making requirements, on lateralized lexical decision. Although response hand manipulations tend to elicit weaker laterality effects than those involving visual field of presentation, the implementation of different lateralized response strategies remains relatively unexplored. Four different response conditions were compared in a between-subjects design: (1) unimanual, (2) bimanual, (3) congruent visual field/response hand, and (4) confounded response hand/target lexicality response. It was observed that hemispheric specialization and interaction effects during the lexical decision task remained unchanged despite the very different response requirements. However, a priori examination of each condition revealed that some manipulations yielded a reduced power to detect laterality effects. The consistent observation of left hemisphere specialization, and both left and right hemisphere lexicality priming effects (interhemispheric transfer), indicate that these effects are relatively robust and unaffected by late occurring processes in the lexical decision task. It appears that the lateralized response mode neither determines nor reflects the laterality of decision processes. In contrast, the target visual half-field is critical for determining the deciding hemisphere and is a sensitive index of hemispheric specialization, as well as of directional interhemispheric transfer.