Final answer:
A typical split-brain patient shown an apple in the left visual field and a banana in the right visual field would report seeing a banana due to the right hemisphere processing the apple and being unable to communicate with the speech center in the left hemisphere.
Step-by-step explanation:
A typical split-brain patient who is briefly shown an apple in the left visual field and a banana in the right visual field would report seeing a banana. Due to the surgery to treat severe epilepsy where the corpus callosum is severed, the condition known as split-brain occurs, leading to unique information processing within the two hemispheres of the brain. The visual input from the left visual field is processed by the right hemisphere, which is not typically linked to the speech center commonly located in the left hemisphere. Hence, while the patient can perceive the apple with the right hemisphere, they cannot verbally report it due to the disconnection. On the other hand, the image of the banana presented to the right visual field is processed by the left hemisphere, which is able to communicate with the speech center, allowing the patient to verbally acknowledge seeing the banana.