Decoding embedded sentences and dichotic ear advantage

This study concerns the relationship between the semantic as well as syntactic decoding abilities and language representation in cerebral hemispheres. Three groups varying in semantic-syntactic decoding ability (N = 32) were given a verbal dichotic listening test. Both the good semantic-good syntactic and the good semantic-poor syntactic groups showed a significant right ear advantage indicating a greater reliance on the left hemisphere for verbal process. The poor semantic-poor syntactic group showed no ear advantage on the dichotic task. This finding is interpreted as meaning that their speech representation is less lateralised than that of the other two groups. The implication of the findings in terms of the heuristic and algorithmic processes in language comprehension is then discussed.