Dichotic Listening by Chronic Schizophrenic Patients

Abstract

The hypothesis that schizophrenics show hemispheric dysfunction (e.g., overactivation) was examined using the dichotic listening test (words). Thirty-three chronic schizophrenic patients and 33 normal controls were tested. Their data were analysed for over-all correct identification of the stimuli presented to the left and the right ears, the magnitude of differences between the ears in recall, and the number of shifts in report from one ear to the other. The overall level of performance was lower for schizophrenics than for the normal controls; between the ears difference were not significant although schizophrenics showed large individual differences. The number of shifts was greater for normals than for the schizophrenics; and there was no sex difference on any index within the two of subjects groups. The results were discussed in relation to the hypothesized hemispheric dysfunction in schizophrenics and other aspects of cognitive activity which may underlie the performance of the task.