Biomaterial Database

Laterality for visual-spatial processing in two language-trained chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). 1989

W D Hopkins, and R D Morris

Department of Psychology, Georgia State Univesity, Atlanta 30303.

Most reviews of laterality in nonhuman primates indicate that hemispheric asymmetries, similar to those found in humans, are not evident. With the growing evidence for cognitive processes germane to language in apes, in addition to their phylogenetic similarity to humans, they appear to be useful candidates for studies of laterality. Laterality for visual-spatial processing in two language-trained chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) was investigated with a visual half-field paradigm. Initially, the chimpanzees were taught to manipulate a joystick that controlled the movement of a cursor on a computer monitor to a central fixation point. Subjects were then taught a visual discrimination based on the location of a short line contained within a geometric form. Testing consisted of systematic presentation rates of 15, 122, and 226 ms to the left and right visual fields. For half of the trials, subjects used their left hand to respond and, alternately, used the right hand for the remaining trials. Accuracy and reaction time were the dependent measures. One subject demonstrated significantly faster reaction times to stimuli presented to the left visual field (LVF) regardless of which hand was used to respond. The other subject demonstrated a significant LVF bias when using the left hand to respond. The results are discussed in the context of current theories on the evolution of laterality and its relation to linguistic functioning.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009949	Orientation	Awareness of oneself in relation to time, place and person.	Cognitive Orientation,Mental Orientation,Psychological Orientation,Cognitive Orientations,Mental Orientations,Orientation, Cognitive,Orientation, Mental,Orientation, Psychological,Orientations,Orientations, Cognitive,Orientations, Mental,Orientations, Psychological,Psychological Orientations
D010364	Pattern Recognition, Visual	Mental process to visually perceive a critical number of facts (the pattern), such as characters, shapes, displays, or designs.	Recognition, Visual Pattern,Visual Pattern Recognition
D011597	Psychomotor Performance	The coordination of a sensory or ideational (cognitive) process and a motor activity.	Perceptual Motor Performance,Sensory Motor Performance,Visual Motor Coordination,Coordination, Visual Motor,Coordinations, Visual Motor,Motor Coordination, Visual,Motor Coordinations, Visual,Motor Performance, Perceptual,Motor Performance, Sensory,Motor Performances, Perceptual,Motor Performances, Sensory,Perceptual Motor Performances,Performance, Perceptual Motor,Performance, Psychomotor,Performance, Sensory Motor,Performances, Perceptual Motor,Performances, Psychomotor,Performances, Sensory Motor,Psychomotor Performances,Sensory Motor Performances,Visual Motor Coordinations
D011930	Reaction Time	The time from the onset of a stimulus until a response is observed.	Response Latency,Response Speed,Response Time,Latency, Response,Reaction Times,Response Latencies,Response Times,Speed, Response,Speeds, Response
D002540	Cerebral Cortex	The thin layer of GRAY MATTER on the surface of the CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES that develops from the TELENCEPHALON and folds into gyri and sulci. It reaches its highest development in humans and is responsible for intellectual faculties and higher mental functions.	Allocortex,Archipallium,Cortex Cerebri,Cortical Plate,Paleocortex,Periallocortex,Allocortices,Archipalliums,Cerebral Cortices,Cortex Cerebrus,Cortex, Cerebral,Cortical Plates,Paleocortices,Periallocortices,Plate, Cortical
D002679	Pan troglodytes	The common chimpanzee, a species of the genus Pan, family HOMINIDAE. It lives in Africa, primarily in the tropical rainforests. There are a number of recognized subspecies.	Chimpanzee,Chimpanzee troglodytes,Chimpanzee troglodyte,Chimpanzees,Pan troglodyte,troglodyte, Pan,troglodytes, Chimpanzee
D004292	Dominance, Cerebral	Dominance of one cerebral hemisphere over the other in cerebral functions.	Cerebral Dominance,Hemispheric Specialization,Dominances, Cerebral,Specialization, Hemispheric
D005556	Form Perception	The sensory discrimination of a pattern, shape, or outline.	Contour Perception,Contour Perceptions,Form Perceptions,Perception, Contour,Perception, Form,Perceptions, Contour,Perceptions, Form
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia