[Presentation of a new dichotic hearing test for the measurement of functional hemispheric asymmetries].

A newly developed dichotic test was tried on a clinical population of 197 primary school children. The results show a right ear advantage; that is better achievements in reproduction of verbal material presented to the right ear. This effect can only be reliably proved by double presentation of the material, once in inverse form. Changes in the test performance while doing the test; as well as the importance of the intervening variable, dominance of one word over the other within a pair simultaneously presented are discussed - first of all a statistical analysis was made to isolate the words that dominate most clearly in their setting. As a result of the recorded item-total (subtest) correlation as well as the estimation of reliability, there is a possibility to develop a more reliable test instrument in a second step. With cluster analysis the diagnostic value of the dichotic examination was shown in a group of 60 subjects, especially with a view to the formal pathogenesis of achievement disorders in early primary school age.