Children's ability to shift attention from one ear to the other: divergent results for dichotic and monaural stimuli

In three experiments, 5- to 8-year-old children reported digit names from one ear for 30 trials before shifting attention to the other ear. Stimuli were presented dichotically in Experiment 1 and monaurally in Experiments 2 and 3. Dichotic stimulation yielded not only a right-ear advantage but also a priming effect that reflects difficulty in shifting attention in either direction. With monaural stimulation, however, performance with the second ear to be monitored was superior to performance with the first ear. The priming effect thus depends on interaural competition and cannot be attributed to general factors such as fatigue or motivation.