Effects of hemispheric laterality on color-information processing

This study investigated the interaction between hemispheric laterality and recognition memory for pictures presented in three different color modes: realistic, nonrealistic, and monochrome (black and white). Stimulus materials were 180 scenic slides (120 stimulus and 60 distractor) produced in three color modes. Materials were presented to a group of 26 graduate volunteers via the list learning procedure for a duration of 500 msec. each. During one-half of the materials an arithmetic masking task was performed to inhibit left-hemisphere processing. Signal-detection parameters, compared in a 2 x 3 repeated-measures design, produced significant interactions for the probability of hits, error, and d' measures. Post hoc tests indicated significantly higher hit probability and d' scores for nonrealistic color and higher error rates for realistic color under the right localized condition. Findings suggest that color processing is bilocational, realistic information is processed more deeply than nonrealistic, and nonrealistic color supplies unique color codes for storage and retrieval.