Dichotic Listening: Elimination of the Right Ear Advantage Under a Dual Task Procedure

Abstract

The aim of this article is to investigate the attentional effect on the dichotic listening (DL) performance when doing a simultaneous right hemisphere task. A group of 30 right-handed male participants had a standard DL test followed by a dual task procedure that consisted of a manipulospatial discrimination through the left hand and performed while doing the DL test. Participants showed the typical right ear advantage (REA), which lost its significance when they were confronted with the dual task, presumably due to the manipulospatial performance. The elimination of the REA was mainly due to facilitation of the left ear responses. Results are discussed in terms of Kinsbourne's model and other paradigms of attentional effects on dichotic listening performance.