Asymmetries in processing the terms "right" and "left."

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Abstract
Conducted 3 experiments with simple word-picture verification tasks using 12, 15, and 12 right-handed Navy enlisted men, respectively. Results show that the mental representation of the term RIGHT is the simpler or "unmarked" one of the pair RIGHT-LEFT. True matches involving the term RIGHT took less time than true matches for LEFT or than false matches, and this held true whether Ss interpreted the displays from their own perspective or from the perspective of someone facing them. However, substituting arrows for the words in the displays eliminated the effect. Thus the asymmetry depended upon mentally representing the 2 directions and not upon visual scanning biases or reading habits. Data are discussed in relation to how Ss conceptualize space. Problems of stimulus-response compatibility that arise in reaction time tasks using RIGHT and LEFT are also discussed. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)

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