Influence of headphones versus loudspeaker presentation of dichotic speech on ear advantage

A right-ear advantage (REA) is a robust phenomenon on dichotic speech tests. Biases in speech perception and cognitive control are believed to produce ear advantage.1 Headphones are often used to deliver dichotic stimuli in order to isolate the two ears, however, similar outcomes have been found in behavioral and electrophysiological studies incorporating loudspeakers. The size of the REA is also known to be influenced by the level of perceptual difficulty (e.g., CV stimuli) and/or linguistic demands placed on the listener (e.g., sentences).