Since Miskin and Forgays, lateralized differences in visual information processing has largely been explained by models consistent with theories of hemispheric specialization. The present study offers an alternative explaination to account for visual half field asymmetries while elucidating past methological inadequacies characteristic of many visual half field studies.Response times and accuracy scores were examined as a function of visual half fields and visual encoding strategies. All subjects responded manually to unilateral tachistoscopic stimulus presentation. Subjects were tested under two strategy conditions: (1) subjects responded to verbal stimuli using a verbal (linguist) encoding strategy, and (2) subjects responded to verbal stimuli using a non-verbal (visio-spatial) encoding strategy.Results were consistent with earlier studies which report a right visual half field superiority to unilateral presentation of verbal stimuli. Significant differences were noted between visual half field presentation and strategy conditions. Results are discussed in terms of an alternative explaination to account for visual half field asymmetries, based heavily upon methodological considerations and visual stimulus information encoding strategy.

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The effect of perceptual load and target-flanker proximity on developmental patterns of filtering efficiency was examined among children 5-12 years and a group of adults. The participants were asked to respond to a centrally presented arrow surrounded by congruent or incongruent flanker arrows. Filtering was operationalized in terms of the flanker congruency effect (FCE) and measured as the response latency difference between trials with incongruent flankers versus trials with congruent flankers. Conditions varied with regard to target-flanker distances and levels of perceptual load. Developmental changes in susceptibility to the FCE did not appear to be related to target-flanker proximity, but were related to a perceptual load manipulation that involved varying the response associated with the target. The FCE was larger in magnitude for 7-10 year old children than for 11-12 year old children and adults under low perceptual load conditions. However, these developmental differences in susceptibility to the effects of interference were no longer apparent under high perceptual load conditions. This finding suggests differential developmental trajectories for filtering efficiency based on the processing demands involved in the task, and can be understood within the framework of the perceptual load model of selective attention.

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Typescript. / Bibliography: leaves 112-121. / ix, 121 l illus

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Kinesiology and Health Science. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves150-182). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR19853