Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 10-10-2001

Journal / Book Title

Neuropsychology

Abstract

The dependence of episodic memories on interhemispheric processing was tested. In Experiment 1, positive familial sinistrality (FS+; e.g., the presence of left-handed relatives) was associated with superior episodic memory and inferior implicit memory in comparison with negative familial sinistrality (i.e., FS-). This reflected a greater degree of interhemispheric interaction in FS+ participants, which was hypothesized as facilitating episodic memory. In Experiment 2, the authors directly manipulated inter- versus intrahemispheric processing using tests of episodic (recognition) and semantic (lexical decision) memory in which letter strings were presented twice within trial blocks. Semantic memory was superior when the 2nd presentation went to the same hemisphere as the 1st. Episodic memory, however, was superior when the 2nd presentation of a stimulus went to the opposite hemisphere. Results support an interhemispheric processing basis for episodic memories.

DOI

DOI: 10.1037//0894-4105.15.4.607

Published Citation

Christman, Stephen D., and Ruth E. Propper. "Superior episodic memory is associated with interhemispheric processing." Neuropsychology 15, no. 4 (2001): 607.

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