Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

ISSN: 0033-555X (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/pqje19

Shorter articles and notes left-right differences

in auditory perception of verbal and non-verbal
material by children

Dirk J. Bakker

To cite this article: Dirk J. Bakker (1967) Shorter articles and notes left-right differences
in auditory perception of verbal and non-verbal material by children, Quarterly Journal of
Experimental Psychology, 19:4, 334-336, DOI: 10.1080/14640746708400110

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14640746708400110

Published online: 29 May 2007.

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 334 QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

SHORTER ARTICLES AND NOTES

LEFT-RIGHT DIFFERENCES IN AUDITORY PERCEPTION
OF VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL MATERIAL BY CHILDREN
BY
DIRK J. BAKKER
From the Paedotogical Institute, Amsterdam
One hundred and twenty children, 60 boys and 60 girls, varying in age between 6 and
12 years were presented with a series of digits and Morse-like sound patterns to each ear
separately. As predicted, sound patterns were found to be better retained when presented
to the left ear than when presented to the right ear. Series of digits however were not
retained better via the right ear than via the left ear. The dominance of the left ear for
non-verbal material decreases with increasing age. For verbal material a quadratic rela-
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tion between the dominance of the right ear and age was established.

INTRODUCTION
After various research projects with adults it has become apparent that verbal material
presented to the right ear is retained better than when presented to the left ear (Kimura,
1961,1964; Bryden, 1963;Broadbent and Gregory, 1964). On the other hand non-verbal
material is retained better when input is via the left ear (Kimura, 1964).
This ear asymmetry has-as far as we know-not yet been investigated in a genetic
context, as contrasted with other aspects of lateral dominance, such as hand, eye and foot
preference (Gesell and Ames, 1947;Belmont and Birch, 1963;compare Palmer, 1964),
These research projects show that an increase in age is accompanied by increasing left or
right dominance.
Differences between boys and girls in connection with lateral dominance are generally
not found (Belmont and Birch, 1963).
Kimura (1964)mentions that the way in which the material is presented, that is,
dichotically or to each ear separately at separate moments, influences results. She found
that under the first mentioned condition asymmetry between the ears appears, whilst
under the second condition no asymmetry was found. A possible explanation of this
phenomenon is, according to Kimura, that dichotic presentation demands more from the
assimilation mechanism resulting in a more marked effect.
In the frame work of a research programme we were able to test the ear asymmetry
hypothesis and to make the age trend of this variable the subject of research.
METHOD
Subjects
One hundred and twenty children took part in the project: 60 girls individually
matched on the basis of age with 60 boys. There were 20 children of 6 years old, 20 of
7 years old, etc., up to 2 0 of I I years old. The children came from normal primary schools.
Tests and apparatus
A total of 18series of digits and 18sound patterns were presented to each ear separately.
The right and left ear series were randomly selected. The digit series comprised four,
five or six digits. The sound patterns were Morse-like series of dots and dashes, generated
by a buzzer. These series comprised three, four or five elements. Digit series and sound
patterns were recorded on a one channel tape recorder and could be relayed to each ear
separately via an earphone. The reproduction of digit series was made orally and the
reproduction of sound patterns was made with the aid of the buzzer.
Procedure
The sequence in which the children were tested was random. Alternately, one child
was tested, using first the right ear, then the left ear, followed by a child who was tested
using first the left then the right ear. The order of presentation of digit series and sound
patterns was random, except that the shortest series (four digits) and smallest patterns
 EAR ASYMMETRY I N CHILDREN 335
(three elements) were always presented first. The tester made certain that the testee
understood the instruction by means of three training trials. A response was only scored
as correct when a digit series or sound pattern was reproduced entirely correctly.
RESULTS
The retention of digit series was not significantly better via the right than via the left
ear (z = 0.51, p = 0.30 one-tailed). The retention of sound patterns was significantly
better in the case of input via the left ear than via the right ear (z = 2.01,p = 0-02 one-
tailed). Fifty-three children (28 girls and 25 boys) obtained better results in reproducing
digit series presented via the right ear, 47 children (22 girls and 25 boys) obtained better
results via the left ear. This difference is not significant (z = 0.50,p = 0.31 one-tailed).
With the reproduction of sound patterns 59 children (32 girls and 27 boys) obtained better
results via the left ear, 38 children (17girls and 21 boys) better results via the right ear.
This difference in numbers of children, who achieve better results in the reproduction of
non-verbal material presented via the left than via the right ear, is significant (z = 2.04,
p = 0.02 one-tailed).
As can be seen from the above mentioned figures, a marked difference between the
results of boys and girls was not found.
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FIGURE I

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6 7 a 9 1 0 1 1

- - - non verbal,-verbal
In Figure I age trends are shown for the medians of the intra-individual right minus
left differences. A nonparametric trend analysis (Ferguson, 1965,Ch. 10)gave for verbal
material a very significant quadratic component (z = 3-42,f~= 0.0007 two-tailed). For
non-verbal material a linear component was found, approaching the 5 per cent. level of
significance (z = 1-95,p = 0.051 two-tailed).
DISCUSSION
Children of primary school age perceive and retain non-verbal material markedly
better by means of the left ear than via the right ear. This result was obtained in spite
of the fact that the stimulation of the ears took place separately, at separate moments.
Moreover, this finding is in accordance with Milner’s (1962)view that the right temporal
lobe is dominant in the auditory perception of non-verbal material. Contrary to expecta-
tions the verbal material produced no better results when presented to the right ear than
to the left ear. It is conceivable that the verbal material (digit series) was too simple
compared with the non-verbal material (sound patterns) so that too small an appeal was
made to the assimilation mechanisms responsible for ear asymmetry. I n this context we
refer to a recently published research of Shankweiler and Studdert-Kennedy (1967), which
clearly shows that results are dependent on the nature of the material.
It is of special interest t o note the relationship to age which we found in this investiga-
tion. With non-verbal material better results are achieved at first age level by the left
 336 QUARTERLY JOURNAL O F EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

ear. With increasing age however this changes in favour of the right ear. Using verbal
material better achievements are obtained at an earlier age with the right than with the
left ear. This changes fairly soon in favour of the left ear until after the age of 10 when the
right ear takes the lead again. On the basis of this investigation it cannot be established
whether the separating trends after the age of 10are continued later in age or not. Should
this be so, then the age of 10 could be regarded as the critical stage at which ear asym-
metry becomes consistent. Such critical ages have been found for other aspects of lateral
dominance (Belmont and Birch, 1963).
We should like to thank colleagues of the Paedological Institute Research Department
(address: Prins Hendriklaan 23, Amsterdam), who have contributed to the establishment
of this research project.
REFERENCES
BELMONT, L., and BIRCH,H.G. (1963). Lateral dominance and right-left awareness in
normal children. Child Developm., 34, 257-70.
BROADBENT, D. E., and GREGORY, M. (1964). Accuracy of recognition for speech pre-
sented to the right and left ears. Quart. J . exp. Psychol., 16,359-60.
BRYDEN,M. P. (1963). Ear preference in auditory perception. J . exp. Psychol., 65,
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103-5.
FERGUSON, G. A. (1965). Nonparametric Trend Analysis. Montreal : McGill University
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GESELL, A., and AMES. L. B. (1947). The development of handedness. J . genet. Psychol.,
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KIMURA, D.(1961). Cerebral dominance and the perception of verbal stimuli. Canad.
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KIMURA, D. (1964). Left-right differences in the perception of melodies. Quart. J . exp.
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MILNER,B. (1962). Laterality effects in audition. In MOUNTCASTLE, V. B. (Ed.), Inter-
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SHANKWEILER, D., and STUDDERT-KENNEDY, M. (1967). Identification of consonants
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Manuscript received 2nd June, 1967.