Attentional bias to the visual half-field and reading quality in right-to-left reader second-graders

Abstract

Most left-to-right readers demonstrate a bias to the left visual half-field and, in relatively rare cases, the bias to the right visual half-field in tasks on visual attention. At the same time, reading from left to right is associated with better reading quality in people, demonstrating bias to the left field compared to those with bias to the right field. If bias to the right field is associated to reading difficulties in left-to-right readers, should we expect a reversed effect in right-to-left readers, with bias to the left field associated with reading difficulties? To answer this question, the study was conducted in Al Dhabiania Private School in Abu Dhabi and Rak Modern Private School in Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE. Participants, school second-graders, performed a star-cancellation task. Based on the sidedness of the first cancellation, and the total number of targets cancelled on the left and the right side, participants were considered to have bias to the left field and bias to the right field. Teachers were asked to assess the reading ability of participants by grading from 50 to 100. An independent-samples Mann-Whitney U test was conducted to examine differences in reading scores between participants who displayed left and right bias. No difference was found in female participants. Males demonstrating the bias to the right field were shown to have higher reading scores than those with left bias. In conclusion, attentional bias to the right visual half-field is associated with better reading quality in male right-to-left reader second-graders.