Homotopic callosal inhibition in hemispheric priming: A test of cook’s topographical inhibitory model

Coney, Jeffrey (2002) Homotopic callosal inhibition in hemispheric priming: A test of cook’s topographical inhibitory model. Current Psychology, 21 (2). pp. 144-167.

Abstract

This study set out to evaluate Cook’s (1986) topographical inhibitory model of language processing in the hemispheres. The model employs the neurophysiological mechanism of homotopic callosal inhibition to explain recent findings which suggest that the left hemisphere processes denotative meaning, while the right hemisphere specializes in connotative meaning. Specific predictions in relation to lateralized priming phenomena were derived from the model. The first experiment tested the prediction that word repetition and denotative priming would facilitate responses to right visual field targets, while connotative priming would favour the left visual field. None of these predictions were confirmed. A second experiment modified in a number of ways, provided a more extensive test of the predictions but produced essentially the same result. It was concluded that no evidence could be obtained to support the topographical inhibitory model. Instead, the results extend previous findings by suggesting that associative priming has more or less equivalent effects in each hemisphere, provided the interval between prime and target is sufficiently long.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Murdoch Affiliation(s):	School of Psychology
Publisher:	Springer-Verlag
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/16777

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