Colour knowledge: The role of the right hemisphere in colour processing and object colour knowledge

Abstract

The lateralisation of colour processing is not well understood, although there is a reasonable amount of evidence indicating a right hemisphere bias for colour processing. Tasks that require colour naming are associated with a left hemisphere bias and it is likely that asymmetry of colour processing is influenced by task demands. It is not known whether object colour knowledge is lateralised. In the current study colour and achromatic Mondrian-like objects were presented to either the left or right hemisphere to assess the lateralisation of colour processing. Participants were required to judge whether the objects were colour or achromatic. To assess colour knowledge, congruently and incongruently coloured familiar objects were presented to either the left or right hemisphere and participants were required to judge whether the objects were correctly or incorrectly coloured. The data show that both colour processing and colour knowledge are associated with a right hemisphere bias.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Professor Michael C. Corballis for his insightful comments and advice on this manuscript.

Notes

¹All main effects and interactions held when the four left-handers were excluded from the analysis.