Visual and semantic processing in reading Kanji.

A. Nakagawa (1991) showed hemispheric asymmetries during semantic processing of single English words. The right hemisphere passively maintained both strong and weak associations, whereas the left hemisphere maintained only strong associations when subjects were left free to attend. The present study extends the methodology to the study of Kanji characters. Contrary to the study of English characters, there was a general right-hemisphere advantage in single-character Kanji words. A study using a visual cue to direct attention suggested that the right-hemisphere advantage in Kanjii was due to better representation of visual features by the posterior right hemisphere. However, the pattern of semantic priming found in English was replicated. Semantic analysis, mediated by more anterior systems, appears similar in the 2 languages.