Developmental changes in hemispheric independence

In this research, we questioned whether children's relative inability to use the 2 cerebral hemispheres independently contributes toward their difficulty with the simultaneous execution of conflicting tasks. 2 naming tasks were simultaneously presented to either 1 visual field/hemisphere combination (unilateral) or were divided between visual fields/hemispheres (bilateral). We predicted that bilateral presentation would improve performance by insulating these conflicting tasks from mutual interference and that there would be a developmental shift in the size of the advantage for bilateral presentation. This hypothesis was confirmed in a sample of 120 children (N = 40 per group). Older children (12- and 14-year-olds) named more items when they were presented bilaterally, rather than unilaterally, when conflicting inputs were directed to different hemispheres. Younger children (10-year-olds) displayed no advantage for bilateral presentation regardless of whether conflicting tasks were projected to the same hemisphere or different hemispheres. The fact that 10-year-olds did not benefit from division of conflicting inputs between the hemispheres was interpreted as a symptom of their relative inability to use the hemispheres independently.