Hemispheric asymmetries in visual word-form processing:  Progress, conflict, and evaluating theories.

Chad. J. Marsolek and Rebecca G. Deason

The ubiquitous left-hemisphere advantage in visual word processing can be accounted for in different ways.  Competing theories have been tested recently using cAsE-aLtErNaTiNg words to investigate boundary conditions for the typical effect.  We briefly summarize this research and examine the disagreements and commonalities across the theoretical perspectives. This work may provide a good example why a multi-level, muti-method, and multi-paradigm approach holds the greatest promise for rapid theoretical progress.

Marsolek, C.J., & Deason, R.G. (in press). Hemispheric asymmetries in visual word-form processing:  Progress, conflict, and evaluating theories. Brain and Language.