Christabel B. Jorgenson

Hemispheric Asymmetry in the Processing of Stroop Stimuli: An Examination of Gender, Hand-Preference, and Language Differences

The present investigation examined the possibility that the explanation for the Stroop phenomenon lies in the hemispheric asymmetry of the human brain. Forty-eight male and 73 female students from freshman psychology classes served as subjects for this study. There were 37 males and 53 females who were right-handed and monolingual; 16 left-handers (five males, 11 females); and 13 bilingual subjects (four male, nine female) included in the sample. Only one person was both left-handed and bilingual. All subjects responded to color words printed in incongruent colors by reading the word or reporting the color in which the word was printed. Response latencies were recorded in hundredths of a second for each of the 36 trials for each subject. For all individuals, response latency was consistently shorter when reading the word than when reporting the color. Females demonstrated a shorter latency for the color stimuli than did males; however males demonstrated a shorter latency for the word stimuli. Evidence indicated that the Stroop phenomenon may best be explained by different modes of neural processing for symbolic and iconic stimuli for all individuals. It was further indicated that females have greater flexibility between hemispheres unless other intervening factors (i.e., hand preference or language differences) provide a symmetry in hemispheric functioning not ordinarily found in males.

Hemispheric asymmetry in the processing of stroop stimuli: An examination of age and gender differences

In responding to Stroop stimuli, individuals consistently respond with shorter latencies when reading the color word than when reporting the hue of the color word stimulus. The responses of second graders and sixth graders and data from an earlier study of university students were included in the analyses. For all groups the expected Stroop effect was present. An analysis of covariance revealed that the covariable, the word score, was significantly related to the color score for all age groups. Whether or not the data were controlled for handedness and language, there was a significant difference between sexes for university students but not for second or sixth graders.

Age and white racial attitudes: National surveys, 1972–1989

The responses of white adults to three questions concerning race relations from national surveys (1972–1989) were examined. The questions, which served as the major dependent variables, refer to interracial marriage, open housing, and the election of a black for president of the United States. The responses to these questions were analyzed in terms of four age groups. The issues addressed by this research include: Are there statistically significant differences in the responses among the four age groups regarding the racial questions? Do these differences remain significant or do they change over time? How are the differences among age groups explained? The results indicated significant differences in the percentage responses among the four age groups in the cross‐sectional analysis for each year from 1972–1989. These differences remained rather stable over a 15‐ and 16‐year span, although there was a slight shift in attitudes overall. It is proposed that racial attitudes were developed in the formative y...

Hemispheric asymmetry in the processing of Stroop stimuli: a balanced design.

Based on results from earlier research, the Stroop test appears to be a means for gaining insight into the specialized functions of the cerebral hemispheres as related to sex differences. This study was designed to determine whether sex differences continue to be present in a balanced design. Sixty-two psychology students responded to color words printed in incongruent colors when presented by a slide projector. Four mean scores comprising 15 responses in each condition, grouped word, grouped color, random word, and random color were computed for each subject. One half of the subjects responded to the grouped condition first, while the other half responded to the random condition first. Two variables were considered, sex and the order of presentation of random and grouped modes. Analyses of covariance of color response times over the categories of sex and order of presentation with word scores as covariates were performed for all conditions. For all individuals, response latency was consistently shorter when reading the word than when reporting the color. As in earlier studies, the covariate (word scores) was significantly related to the color sores. Sex differences were not found; however a significant difference was found in the analysis of the random color responses. When means were adjusted for sex and the covariate, subjects having the experience of the grouped experiment first scored faster than those performing for the first time. It appears that in this balanced design, practice improves time on color responses for both sexes.

Hemispheric Asymmetry in the Processing of Stroop Stimuli: The Effect of Enhancement of Spatial Skills

There is a body of evidence which supports the concept of biological determinants of hemispheric asymmetry. In addition, there appear to be environmental influences. the present investigation was designed to determine whether there are differences, on the Stroop phenomenon, between individuals with more developed spatial skills and controls, as well as between males and females. Thirty-six art students and 27 psychology students who had no training in drawing participated in this study. There were 25 males and 38 females, all of whom were right-handed. An analysis of covariance revealed that the covariable, the word, was significantly related to the color score for all groups. There was a significant difference between art students and controls and between males and females. Male art students had a significantly larger corrected color response mean than all other groups. There appears to be not only a significant statistical interaction but perhaps an interaction of biology with environment as well.

The univariate and multivariate relationships among environmental, sociocultural, biological, and developmental variables and the identification of learning disabled children

Multivariate techniques were used to study the relationships among environmental, sociocultural, biological, and developmental variables, and their ability to discriminate between learning disabled (LD) and regular education students. Univariate analyses were employed to identify variables that were included in a discriminant analysis. Through this combination of analyses, variables that might be considered as risk factors were isolated. Variables which contributed to the separation of LD children from those not placed in special education were developmental delays, babys length at birth, and sex of child. Developmental delays and serious illness of the child were variables most contributing to the separation of LD from low achieving children. While not increasing the accuracy of classification, these antecedent variables appear to predict probability of LD placement as accurately as academic performance or clinical decision, thus allowing early intervention rather than procedures used after learning problems have been identified.

Concurrent and Predictive Validity of an Early Childhood Screening Test

The purpose of this study was to validate an early childhood screening instrument concurrently with other established psychoeducational tests and predictively with a standardized measure of achievement. A battery of tests including a screener and five other established psychoeducational measures was administered to 64 children during their kindergarten year. An achievement test was administered to 33 of these children during their third grade year. The screening test scores were found to be significantly related to the results of other psychoeducational measures both concurrently and predictively. The instrument permits teachers to gather behavior samples in minutes.

The Early Prediction of School Learning Problems

The purpose of this research was to determine a reliable and realistic set of variables for teachers to assist in early identification of children with special needs. Sixty-four kindergarten children participated in the study, 32 identified as high achieving and 32 identified as low achieving by their teachers. Variables included were information from questionnaires answered by parents and teachers and results of standardized tests. Based on the results of the analyses, variables and tests are suggested for distinguishing between groups of children who may experience school success or difficulties.

A Cluster Analysis of Learning Disabled Children

Cluster analysis was employed with the intent of describing more homogeneous subgroups of learning disabled (LD) children. The parents and teachers of 29 children placed in special education as learning disabled completed questionnaires concerning demographic information regarding the families; birth, medical, and developmental histories regarding the children were also included. Variables for the analysis were those found, by means of discriminant analysis in an earlier study, to be significantly related to LD as opposed to regular education children. The presence of developmental delays (speaking or walking later than expected), birth order, and sex of the children were influential in the definition of the clusters.

Hemispheric Asymmetry In The Processing Of Stroop Stimuli: An Altered Format

As in previous studies, the interference condition of the Stroop (color words printed in incongruent ink colors) was presented to male and female subjects. Unlike earlier studies in which word and color responses were elicited randomly, subjects knew in advance what to expect. Word responses were grouped together as were the color responses. Fifteen males and 15 females served in each of two conditions--word responses first or color responses first. In this altered format, an analysis of covariance revealed no gender or order of presentation differences in relation of word to color responses. When analyzed separately, there were no differences on the color responses but significantly shorter latencies for males on word responses. Word response latencies were shorter when presented before rather than after color responses for all subjects. The strong Stroop effect was ever present.