Hemispheric priming: effect of response mode on a position replication task

Ten male and ten female dextral subjects performed a kinesthetic position replication task under two response mode conditions; in one block, subjects indicated their decision by a lateralized verbal response and in the other block, by a midline chin-lift response. Response mode was found to interact with arm, excursion length, end position, and sex. This interaction is interpreted to reflect the influence of verbal preparation on the relative balance between a left hemisphere-biased strategy of kinesthetic positioning and a right hemisphere-biased strategy involving a spatial reference system.