Which would you expect a split-brain patient to report when a visual stimulus is shown to the right visual field?

Which would you expect a split-brain patient to report when a visual stimulus is shown to the right visual field?

• A. They can name the object aloud
• B. They cannot name the object aloud
• C. They cannot see the object
• D. They can only draw it with the left hand

Answer: (A)

Language is typically localized in the left hemisphere, and in split-brain patients the two hemispheres cannot communicate. A visual stimulus shown to the right visual field is processed by the left hemisphere, which houses most people's verbal and naming abilities. So the object can be recognized and named aloud because the information reaches the language-dominant side and can be articulated. If the stimulus had appeared in the left visual field, the right hemisphere could recognize the object nonverbally, and the person might draw or indicate it with the left hand but usually would not be able to name it aloud. The other options don’t fit this pattern: the person can see the object, and the verbal report is possible in this scenario, not limited to nonverbal actions.

Language is typically localized in the left hemisphere, and in split-brain patients the two hemispheres cannot communicate. A visual stimulus shown to the right visual field is processed by the left hemisphere, which houses most people's verbal and naming abilities. So the object can be recognized and named aloud because the information reaches the language-dominant side and can be articulated. If the stimulus had appeared in the left visual field, the right hemisphere could recognize the object nonverbally, and the person might draw or indicate it with the left hand but usually would not be able to name it aloud. The other options don’t fit this pattern: the person can see the object, and the verbal report is possible in this scenario, not limited to nonverbal actions.