ABSTRACT
In the present chapter I will argue that recent data on human Pavlovian conditioning may be interpreted in terms of brain asymmetry and lateralization (see also Hugdahl, 1987a, b; for other reviews). The concepts of asymmetry and lateralization denote the fact that the two cerebral hemispheres are functionally different for the processing of sensory information, and in particular for linguistic and visuo-spatial materials (Kimura, 1961; Sperry, 1974; Wada & Rasmussen, 1960). While the left hemisphere is dominant, or specialized, for the processing of verbal stimuli, the right is dominant, or specialized, for the processing of visuo-spatial and emotionally relevant stimuli (Bradshaw & Nettleton, 1981).
