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Primary process cognition and hemispheric asymmetry.

C Martindale, E Covello, A West

    The Journal of Genetic Psychology
    |March 1, 1986
    PubMed
    Summary
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    This study found that primary process cognition in language is linked to long-term right-hemisphere dominance, not momentary brain activity. Hemispheric asymmetry, particularly right-hemisphere activation, correlates with primary process content.

    Area of Science:

    • Cognitive Neuroscience
    • Psycholinguistics
    • Brain Hemispheric Specialization

    Background:

    • Theorists propose distinct cognitive styles for brain hemispheres: primary process for the right and secondary process for the left.
    • Previous evidence supporting this hemispheric specialization hypothesis has been indirect.
    • Investigating the direct relationship between brain activity and cognitive processes is crucial.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To empirically test the hypothesis of right-hemisphere primary process and left-hemisphere secondary process functioning.
    • To examine the relationship between primary process cognition in language and electroencephalographic (EEG) measures of hemispheric asymmetry.
    • To differentiate the influence of long-term hemispheric asymmetry versus momentary asymmetry on primary process content.

    Main Methods:

    Related Experiment Videos

    • Two experiments were conducted utilizing a validated content-analytic measure for primary process cognition.
    • Verbal material produced by subjects was analyzed for primary process content.
    • Simultaneously, right-hemisphere and left-hemisphere alpha-wave amplitude was monitored using EEG to assess brain activity.

    Main Results:

    • Both experiments revealed a significant relationship between the amount of primary process content in language and basal (long-term) hemispheric asymmetry.
    • This association was stronger with long-term asymmetry (specifically, higher right-hemisphere activation relative to left) than with absolute activation levels of either hemisphere.
    • Momentary hemispheric asymmetry showed a weak, and in the second experiment, opposite-than-predicted relationship with primary process content.

    Conclusions:

    • The findings support the hypothesis that the right hemisphere is associated with primary process cognition, as evidenced by its relation to long-term hemispheric asymmetry.
    • Primary process content in language appears to be more closely linked to stable, long-term patterns of hemispheric activation rather than transient fluctuations.
    • The study highlights the importance of considering long-term hemispheric specialization when examining cognitive processes like primary process thinking.