Dichotic target detection with words: a modified procedure.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of attention on the magnitude and reliability of laterality effects in dichotic target detection. Twenty-five participants completed a dichotic target detection task requiring them to identify the ear to which a target word was presented. Correct left and right responses (LL and RR outcomes, respectively) produced a large and reliable right ear advantage (REA). Participants circled right when the target was presented to the left ear (LR outcomes) more often than they circled left when the target was presented to the right (RL outcomes). A combination of the LL+LR outcomes compared to RR+RL outcomes resulted in a reduced REA. Finally, cases where participants incorrectly responded left or right when the target was absent produced no systematic differences, reflecting the absence of a generalized bias to respond "right." The discussion emphasizes the usefulness of the approach presented here in producing a score that minimizes the attentional component of laterality effects.