Cognition and Neurosciences: Fast perceptual priming in the left and right hemispheres

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of psychology 2006-04, Vol.47 (2), p.85-91
• Main Authors: Korsnes, Maria Stylianou, Magnussen, Svein
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0036-5564; 1467-9450
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2006.00495.x

Visual field differences in fast perceptual priming of possible and impossible object decisions were investigated in a go/no-go task. Each participant (n= 74) was tested in two blocks of trials, each block containing 128 combinations of same-field and cross-field presentations of prime (blank) and target stimuli. The results indicate that fast perceptual priming of object decisions recruits processes that involve both cerebral hemispheres, independent of pre-existing representation. The priming effect was larger for possible than for impossible objects, but fast perceptual priming of object-decisions was demonstrated for both possible and impossible objects, in terms of both reaction times and accuracy. Left-hemisphere specific priming for impossible stimuli may be due to a left hemisphere encoding advantage for impossible parts, consistent with a structural description account.