Brain Lateralazation Flashcards
(28 cards)
What percentage of right-handed people have the left hemisphere dominant for language functions?
About 95%
This dominance includes written and spoken language, logical and analytical thinking, and positive emotions.
What functions are typically associated with the right hemisphere?
- Holistic thinking
- Intuition
- Understanding spatial relationships
- Creativity
- Negative emotions
The right hemisphere plays a significant role in functions that are less analytical and more intuitive.
What is emotional prosody?
Expression of emotion through variations in intonation, tone, stress, loudness, rate, and rhythm of speech
Emotional prosody is essential for conveying feelings in spoken language.
What does pragmatics refer to in language?
Use and understanding of language in different situational and social contexts
This includes understanding humor, sarcasm, and hyperbole.
What role does the right hemisphere play in language acquisition for infants and adults?
Identifying the basic sounds of language (phonemes)
This is crucial for infants learning their native language and adults learning a second language.
What is the term for the hemisphere that is dominant for language?
Dominant hemisphere
For the majority of people, this is the left hemisphere.
How do the left and right hemispheres differ in controlling sensory and motor functions?
Right hemisphere controls the left side of the body; left hemisphere controls the right side
An exception to this is the sense of smell.
What is the exception regarding hemispheric control of sensory functions?
Odors entering the left nostril are transmitted directly to the left hemisphere, and vice versa
This is unique compared to other sensory and motor functions.
True or False: The left hemisphere is responsible for most language functions.
True
This includes both written and spoken language.
Fill in the blank: The right hemisphere is essential for _______.
[Emotional prosody and pragmatics]
These functions are critical for effective communication.
What is brain lateralization?
The specialization of the two hemispheres of the brain for different functions.
Who conducted research on brain lateralization using split-brain patients?
Sperry and his colleagues.
What surgical procedure was performed on split-brain patients to treat severe epilepsy?
Severing their corpus callosums.
What is the function of the corpus callosum?
It is the main bundle of nerve fibers that allows the two hemispheres to share information.
When a picture of a spoon is presented to the right visual field of split-brain patients, which hemisphere receives the information?
The left (dominant) hemisphere.
What can split-brain patients do when a spoon is shown to their right visual field?
They can say they saw a spoon and pick out a spoon by touch with their right hands.
What limitation do split-brain patients face when a spoon is shown to their right visual field?
They cannot pick out a spoon with their left hands.
When a picture of a spoon is presented to the left visual field of split-brain patients, which hemisphere receives the information?
The right (nondominant) hemisphere.
What can split-brain patients do when a spoon is shown to their left visual field?
They can pick out a spoon by touch with their left hands.
What limitation do split-brain patients face when a spoon is shown to their left visual field?
They cannot say they saw a spoon or pick it out with their right hands.
Fill in the blank: The left hemisphere is considered the _______ hemisphere.
dominant
Fill in the blank: The right hemisphere is considered the _______ hemisphere.
nondominant
What is the dichotic listening task used for?
To study speech lateralization
The task involves presenting two different words simultaneously to each ear.
In the dichotic listening task, how are the words presented?
One word to the right ear and another to the left ear
