Cerebral asymmetry and selective attention in mathematically gifted adolescents

Abstract

This study examined selective attention in 32 mathematically gifted and 32 control children between the ages of 11 and 15. Bilateral words were presented tachistoscopically with an arrow at fixation to tell the child which word (left or right) to report. This allowed us to assess group differences in cerebral lateral‐ity, as well as the ability to attend to the target stimulus. Both groups were more accurate when the arrow pointed to the right visual field than to the left visual field. This asymmetry did not differ in direction or degree between gifted and control children. By analyzing error patterns it was determined that the gifted children showed an enhanced ability to selectively attend to the correct visual field and to process the word once attention had been directed toward it.