Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention
Published on: November 16, 2017
Right hemisphere processing superiority during sustained visual attention
1University of Oregon.
Abstract:
Normal subjects showed a right hemisphere processing superiority in reaction times to visual stimuli under conditions of sustained visual attention. This asymmetry was predicted based on findings in studies of blood flow, clinical populations, and physiology on lateralization of the noradrenergic system. The asymmetry was eliminated when an auditory event was delivered simultaneously with the visual target suggesting a common pathway between voluntary sustained alerting and more automatic alerting effects of external stimuli. The act of sustaining alertness also interacted with covert orienting of attention as would be expected if alerting influenced the efficiency of covert shifts of attention.
Related Concept Videos
Lateralization
Cerebral Hemispheres
Parallel Processing
Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
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...
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

