The role of perceptual reference frames in visual field asymmetries.

The direct access model of hemispheric asymmetry was tested in a letter reflection (normal of reflected) judgement task. In the baseline condition letters were presented in their upright orientation, and reaction times were faster to letters presented in the right visual field than to those presented in the left visual field. In two other conditions the slides, and thus the letters, were rotated +90 degrees clockwise (Rotated +90) from upright or -90 degrees counterclockwise (Rotated -90). This resulted in the letters in both rotated conditions being shown in the upper or lower visual field through the sagittal plane but rotated 90 degrees. Despite this fact a "right field" advantage was again found when the right field was defined relative to the orientation of the tops of the rotated letters (lower visual field in the Rotated +90 condition and upper visual field in the Rotated -90 condition). These results demonstrate that the internal representation of locations in space is more important in predicting visual field asymmetries, at least in the present task, than the field of stimulus presentation relative to the fovea.