ABSTRACT
As I mentioned in Chapter 2, at first glance, the two cortical hemispheres look pretty much like mirror images of each other. Yet closer inspection reveals many subtle differences in structure. Behavioural studies suggest differences in function too. The study of lateralisation is the study of the distinct patterns of psychological functioning seen in the two hemispheres. Hemispheric specialisation is also sometimes known as asymmetry of function because of the different (asymmetric) responsibilities that psychologists have observed. In this chapter, we consider the various ways that scientists have examined this asymmetry, and the conclusions that they have drawn from their research.
