Deutsch's frequency anisotropy and ear advantage in a dichotic test of musical chords.

Deutsch [Music Perception 3(2), 127-154, 1985] outlined an effect of frequency anisotropy occurring in dichotic tests which may challenge the usual interpretation of such tests in terms of functional asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres. This study is aimed at verifying the relevance of Deutsch's findings in the case of a dichotic test of musical chords. A single choice dichotic chord test was administered to two groups of subjects (N = 20, N = 28) with different levels of musical competence. The results show that the left ear advantage obtained cannot be explained on the basis of Deutsch's effect.