Illustrating brain lateralisation in a naturalistic observation of cell-phone use

Abstract

This article describes an activity designed to increase students' understanding of hemispheric specialisation, specifically the fact that the left hemisphere plays a dominant role in language processing. Because of the contralateral organisation of the auditory system, research has shown a right ear advantage for language processing. The activity involves a naturalistic observation in which students observe individuals using handheld cell (mobile) phones in public locations. The results indicated that more cell phone users listened with the right ear than with the left. Students prepared a written report describing their results, and their understanding of key concepts was assessed before and after the activity. The results demonstrated that the activity increased students' knowledge. Furthermore, students reported that the activity was interesting and enjoyable and they recommended that it be used in future courses.