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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention

Published on: November 16, 2017

Hemispheric contributions to nonverbal abstract reasoning and problem solving.

Daniel N Allen¹, Gregory P Strauss, Karen A Kemtes

¹Neuropsychology Research Program, Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5030, USA. daniel.allen@unlv.edu

Neuropsychology

|November 7, 2007

Summary

This study found that nonverbal reasoning, including spatial and proportional reasoning, is not strongly lateralized to the right hemisphere in patients with cerebrovascular disease. Cognitive processes for problem-solving appear to be more broadly distributed across the cortex.

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Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements for Comparison of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks

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Published on: August 9, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Neurology

Background:

Hemispheric lateralization of reasoning abilities, particularly in the right hemisphere, remains a subject of ongoing scientific debate.
The specific role of the right hemisphere in problem-solving, whether modality-specific or dependent on spatial reasoning types, requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the hemispheric involvement in distinct nonverbal reasoning abilities: spatial reasoning and proportional reasoning.
To determine if specific types of spatial reasoning are lateralized to the right hemisphere or if reasoning is more generally distributed.

Main Methods:

Examined 109 patients diagnosed with cerebrovascular disease affecting either the right hemisphere, left hemisphere, or diffusely.
Assessed two types of nonverbal reasoning: spatial reasoning and proportional reasoning.

Main Results:

No significant lateralizing effects were observed based on the type of spatial reasoning assessed.
The findings suggest that higher-order cognitive processes involved in nonverbal abstraction and problem-solving are not predominantly lateralized to the right hemisphere.

Conclusions:

Higher-order cognitive functions related to nonverbal abstraction and problem-solving are likely more generally distributed throughout the cerebral cortex.
The study challenges the notion of strong right-hemisphere lateralization for complex nonverbal reasoning tasks.