AN EXPERIMENTAL COMPARISON OF STIMULUS TYPE, DISPLAY TYPE, AND INPUT VARIABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO VISUAL-FIELD ASYMMETRY

Three experiments compare the effects of stimulus type, display type, and input variable contributions to visual field (VF) asymmetry. Stimulus types were words and bar graphs; displays were unilateral and bilateral; and input variables were stimulus eccentricity, duration, luminance, and size. The only influences consistent across studies and with claims in the literature were those of stimulus type and display type. Stimulus type determined the direction of VF asymmetry, while display type determined its magnitude. The results suggest that both influences should be accounted for in research using VF asymmetry as an index of hemispheric differences, while input variables can largely be ignored. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.