Six studies of the relationship between classroom seating and information processing were conducted with adult subjects. Findings converged to support a hemisphericity-based explanation of effects with right-side-sitters more inclined to a response style associated with the right hemisphere--perhaps, less analytical or less cautious in responding (Experiments 1-4), more "artistic" (Experiment 5), and less lateralized (Experiment 6), and vice versa for left side sitters. First, using incidental memory tasks, subjects (N = 164) with a right side seating preference (i.e., to the speaker's left side) were found, in their test-taking behavior, to respond more positively to inaccurate distractor words (Experiments 1 and 2), particularly those with an ambiguous semantic reference (Experiment 3). For different levels of processing, seating location did not influence auditory memory (Experiments 1 and 2) but right side sitters showed enhanced visual memory for accurate words (Experiment 3). In a sample of 366 subjects, males selecting right side seating were less successful on multiple-choice test performance (Experiment 4), but there were no Side differences in test taking speed or review time. In a sample of 286 subjects (Experiment 5), personality measures on the Vocational Preference Inventory revealed right sitters scored higher on the "Artistic" scale and on femininity on the Masculine-Feminine scale. The final study (N = 90) revealed reduced dichotic processing on verbal tasks (digits and voiced CVs) for right side sitters. Implications are discussed.

A pronounced teaching bias away from the left side of the classroom (teacher's right) was observed in a time-sampling study of 19 teachers. Six male and 13 female teachers showed an instructional orientation toward the classroom right (teacher's left), and center. Teacher's relative inattention to students seated on the left of the classroom may be accounted for by teachers being conditioned to monitor students in the center and to the left, stable differences in left-right cerebral hemispheric attentional control or ease of classroom instruction.

Purpose Social standards that support White normativity impact communication styles and use of microaggressions that alienate minority and culturally/linguistically diverse groups. Though professionals in education and communication sciences and disorders (CSD) attempt to help students/clients navigate the world, CSD professionals focus more on nonnormativity as different, not bad, whereas mainstream education focuses on meeting normative standards—potentially impacting how preprofessional students approach and understand non-inclusive language. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the prevalence of microaggression endorsement (i.e., indicating they would use a phrase, even if unaware of its potential harm) and adaptation to feedback that may promote changes in microaggressive language endorsements by preservice students in predominantly White-dominated disciplines with different approaches to nonnormativity. Method Computer mouse-tracking was used to explore explicit and implicit cognition before and after corrective feedback regarding the perception and social impact of microaggressions among 37 undergraduate preservice CSD and education majors. Results Preservice CSD undergraduates were far less likely to endorse microaggression statements, and agree with the potential harm microaggressions cause. Preservice CSD undergraduates also experienced more cognitive competition when making decisions about microaggressions, but this cognitive competition lessened after feedback. Conclusions This study of microaggressions is promising, as it demonstrates that preservice educators and CSD undergraduates are sensitive to the harm microaggressions cause, but both groups of preprofessionals may still hold some non-inclusive notions that may be damaging to colleagues, clients, and students. Fortunately, this understanding of the research suggests that awareness may be an important factor affecting change, promoting cultural competence, and providing opportunities for reflection. Supplemental Materials https://osf.io/kax8t/