Tachistoscopic word recognition performance under conditions of simultaneous bilateral presentation

Four experiments involving the bilateral tachistoscopic presentation of word pairs are reported. This paradigm was found to generate a right hemi-field recognition advantage across manipulations of word orientation, exposure duration, and fixation control. In two of the experiments this recognition asymmetry was maintained in spite of a significant tendency to initiate the verbal report with any available left hemi-field content. In three of the experiments the strength of the left to right order of report tendency was negatively correlated with the magnitude of the right visual field recognition advantage. A hypothesis to account for the more common finding of left hemi-field recognition superiority with bilateral displays is offered.