PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL COMPETENCE FOLLOWING UNILATERAL STROKE

Neuropsychological research indicates that the left hemisphere plays a dominant role in verbal production and processing, while the right he misphere plays a dominant role in nonverbal production and processing. This study sought to examine the effects of such differential hemisph eric specialization on personality and social competency. Ten left hem isphere damaged (LHD) stroke patients, 11 right hemisphere damaged (RH D) stroke patients, and 7 neurologically normal (NHD) patients were vi deotaped while engaging in social interaction with their spouse and an interviewer. Segments of the interactions were independently coded by two observers. Patients and spouses were rated with respect to their level of social competency and the extent to which they were character ized by 10 personality adjectives (e.g., outgoing, warm). Ratings for the personality items were summed to create an aggregate score. Analys is of these scores revealed both LHD and RHD patients to have lower (i ,e., more negative) mean scores than NHD patients, suggesting that str oke patients as a whole were seen as socially impaired. Analysis of th e socially competent item revealed particular LHD deficits; LHD patien ts were seen as less socially competent than both RHD and NHD patients . Spouses of LHD, RHD, and NHD patients, in contrast, did not differ i n observer-rated social behavior.