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The Effect of Lateral Visual Fixation and the Direction of Eye Movements on Heartbeat Discrimination
Author(s) -
Weisz Jüalia,
Baláazs Låaszlö,
Láang Eszter,
ÁDám Gyöurgy
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1990.tb01968.x
Subject(s) - psychology , heartbeat , fixation (population genetics) , audiology , laterality , right hemisphere , perception , cerebral hemisphere , eye movement , cognitive psychology , neuroscience , medicine , population , computer security , environmental health , computer science
This study was undertaken to determine whether the asymmetrical activation of the two cerebral hemispheres affects the accuracy of heartbeat perception. Hemispheric preference—the tendency to activate one hemisphere rather than the other—was assessed by the directionality of conjugate lateral eye movements. Actual differential hemispheric activation was achieved by contralateral visual fixation. The results of 44 right‐handed male subjects showed that right hemisphere preferent subjects (“left‐movers”) performed better on a heartbeat discrimination task than left hemisphere preferent subjects (“right‐movers”). The direction of lateral visual fixation also influenced heartbeat discrimination: subjects fixating to the left were more accurate than those fixating to the right.