What has traditionally been the main reason for the characterization of the left hemisphere as the “dominant” hemisphere?
evidence that the left hemisphere usually processes complex information
evidence that the left hemisphere usually processes language
the fact that the majority of people are right-handed
evidence that patients use only their left hemisphere for processing information after split-brain surgery
What is the main function of Wernicke’s area?
speech comprehension
speech production
sensory integration
motor integration
If you knew that a surgeon was about to do a surgery to disconnect the cerebral hemispheres, which of the following patients is she most likely to operate on?
a patient in a coma
a patient with epilepsy
a patient with schizophrenia
a patient with antisocial personality disorder
Which of the following would be MOST likely to be impaired as a result of damage to the right hemisphere?
language comprehension
sensations from the right side of the body
vision from the left eye
control of the left leg
If you present a sound in the right ear, where will that sound be processed first?
right temporal lobe
left temporal lobe
right parietal lobe
left parietal lobe
Because the speech centre is generally located in the left hemisphere of the brain, what would a split-brain patient be unable to describe or name?
an object seen in the left visual field
an object felt with the right hand
an object seen in the right visual field
an object presented directly in front of him or her
If you sent the word “banana” to the left hemisphere and the word “cucumber” to the right hemisphere in a patient with a severed corpus callosum, which of the following would the patient be able to name verbally?
both items
neither item
only the banana
only the cucumber
Imagine that a picture of a spoon is briefly flashed in the left visual field of an individual with a severed corpus callosum. At the same time, a picture of a cup is briefly flashed in the right visual field. What would this individual likely say based on Roger Sperry’s work with splitbrain patients?
“I saw a spoon resting in a cup.”
“I saw a cup.”
“I saw a spoon.”
“I didn’t see anything.”
Imagine that a picture of a blue circle is briefly flashed in the left visual field of an individual with a severed corpus callosum. At the same time, a picture of a red square is briefly flashed in the right visual field. What would this individual likely say based on Roger Sperry’s work with splitbrain patients?
“I saw a blue circle.”
“I saw a red square.”
“I saw a blue circle around a red square.”
If a right-handed subject whose corpus callosum has been cut were asked to reproduce a drawing, what could we predict?
best performance by the left hand
best performance by the right hand
equal performance by the two hands
an inability to draw with either hand
On average, which of the following tasks is performed most quickly by the right hemisphere?
reading and naming items verbally
hearing and listening
processing visual information from the right visual field
locating and recognizing objects or people
Chase is using a single earphone to listen in on a conversation. Based on the research that investigated hemispheric specialization in intact brains, what could we suggest in order for Chase to recognize the words he hears most quickly?
put the earphone in his right ear
hum lightly to cancel out the background noise
close his eyes while he listens to the conversation
watch the conversation, in addition to listening
What is the left hemisphere’s specialty in both splitbrain people and neurologically intact people?
spatial perception
motor initiation
visual recognition
verbal processing
Which of the following is NOT primarily controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain?
visual-spatial abilities
the right side of the body
producing language
understanding language
Which of the following is LEAST associated with left hemisphere functioning?
reading
speaking
writing words
musical recognition
Nadine had a stroke that was confined to the right side of her brain. What sort of task will be most difficult for Nadine, based on hemispheric lateralization studies?
mathematics and logical reasoning skills
fine motor coordination, such as for handwriting
spatial skills, such as fitting together puzzle pieces
language and communication skills
Which of the following parts of the brain is most likely to play a major role in the work of artists, architects, and engineers, who must rely heavily on visual-spatial skills?
corpus callosum
left hemisphere
right hemisphere
cerebellum
Which of the following is associated with brains that have low levels of lateral specialization?
reduced likelihood of mental disorder
low IQ scores
poor hand-eye coordination
creativity