Sidedness Preference as an Index of Organization of Laterality

Abstract

A rightward bias to all forms of sidedness seems to be particularly human and perhaps characteristic of every human society. However, this phenomenon has been studied mainly in relation to lateralization of handedness and language. This study investigated the consistency of right- and nonright-handed individuals in preferring the same side for foot, eye, and ear using Coren's Lateral Preference Inventory. The sample of 194 students, 91 boys and 103 girls, ranging in age from 11.5–14.5 years (M age 13.2 yr.) was recruited from public junior high schools in a rural area in Greece on the island of Rhodes. Despite the dominance of the right side observed in handedness, footedness, eyedness, and earedness, this tendency was not equally strong in all four indexes of lateral preference, with handedness showing comparatively the strongest tendency and earedness showing comparatively the weakest tendency. Moreover, the strength of preference for the same side for foot, eye, and ear was significantly weaker in nonright-handed individuals compared to right-handed individuals. These results agree with the hypothesis that nonright-handers may have reduced rather than reversed asymmetry.

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