Functional Asymmetry of the Brain in Dichotic Listening

Some applications of the dichotic listening technique to questions concerned with the development of cerebral dominance, and with the further specification of function of the left and right hemispheres, are described.

Abstract

This paper reviews the evidence relating lateral asymmetry in auditory perception to the asymmetrical functioning of the two hemispheres of the brain. Because each ear has greater neural representation in the opposite cerebral hemisphere, the predominance of the left hemispere for speech is reflected in superior recognition for words arriving at the right ear, while the predominance of the right hemisphere in melodic-pattern perception is reflected in superior identification of melodies arriving at the left ear. Some applications of the dichotic listening technique to questions concerned with the development of cerebral dominance, and with the further specification of function of the left and right hemispheres, are also described.