Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Lateralization

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.

Language and Cognition

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.

Cerebral Hemispheres

Cerebral Hemispheres

The human brain, a complex organ, is functionally divided into two cerebral hemispheres—left and right. These hemispheres are interconnected by a structure of paramount importance, the corpus callosum. This substantial bundle of neural fibers is not just a bridge between the hemispheres but a crucial element for the brain's comprehensive functioning. It enables efficient communication between the two hemispheres, allowing each side of the brain to control and receive sensory and motor...

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...

Non-Verbal Cues

Non-Verbal Cues

Non-verbal communication extends beyond gestures and facial expressions to include vocal elements known as paralanguage. Paralanguage consists of non-verbal vocal cues such as pitch, loudness, speech rate, pauses, and non-verbal vocalizations like laughter, sighs, and moans. These elements not only accompany speech but also provide critical emotional and contextual information.The Role of Paralanguage in CommunicationParalanguage adds depth to spoken language by conveying emotions and...

Lobes of the Cerebrum

Lobes of the Cerebrum

The cerebral cortex, a critical structure of the brain, is intricately divided into two hemispheres, each consisting of four distinct lobes: occipital, temporal, frontal, and parietal. These lobes function cooperatively to regulate various cognitive and sensory functions, forming the basis of our complex neural capabilities.
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Victim framing shapes attitudes across diverse contexts.

PloS one·2026

Same author

Predicting amyloid status in Primary Progressive Aphasia using explainable artificial intelligence.

NPJ dementia·2026

Same author

Is there a "mind" behind the music? Attributing music to AI can suppress narrative meaning-making.

Cognitive research: principles and implications·2026

Same author

How syntax promotes stereotypes: Assessing the role of pragmatic inference.

Psychonomic bulletin & review·2026

Same author

Unwilling or unable? Interpreting effort task performance in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Frontiers in psychology·2025

Same author

Data analysis strategies for the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia Program.

Schizophrenia (Heidelberg, Germany)·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

Does categorical perception in the left hemisphere depend on language?

Kevin J Holmes¹, Phillip Wolff

¹Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. kevin.holmes@emory.edu

Journal of Experimental Psychology. General

|February 15, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Categorical perception (CP) is lateralized to the left hemisphere, but this does not depend on language. Novel object categories show left-lateralized CP regardless of labeling, suggesting a general categorical processing role for the left hemisphere.

More Related Videos

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

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Published on: February 8, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

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

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Published on: February 8, 2019

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Linguistic Relativity

Background:

Categorical perception (CP) influences how we perceive items, enhancing discrimination across categories.
Previous research suggested left-hemisphere lateralization of CP in adults implies language-driven perception.
This study investigates the role of language in left-lateralized categorical perception.

Purpose of the Study:

To challenge the conclusion that left-lateralized CP is driven by language.
To examine whether CP for novel object categories is influenced by linguistic labels.
To determine if left-lateralized CP reflects a general categorical processing function of the left hemisphere.

Main Methods:

Two experiments were conducted using novel object categories.
Participants' ability to discriminate items within and across categories was assessed.
The influence of linguistic labels (labeled vs. unlabeled categories) on CP was compared.

Main Results:

Categorical perception for novel object categories was significantly stronger in the left hemisphere compared to the right.
Both labeled and unlabeled novel categories elicited comparable left-lateralized CP effects.
The degree of lateralization did not differ between labeled and unlabeled categories.

Conclusions:

Left-lateralized categorical perception does not appear to be dependent on language.
The findings suggest that the left hemisphere's propensity for general categorical processing underlies this lateralization.
The results have implications for understanding the relationship between language and perception, particularly in linguistic relativity research.