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Amplification and diffusion of manual preference from lateralized practice in children
Author(s) -
Teixeira Luis Augusto,
da Silva Renato Passos Pereira,
de Freitas Sylvia Lúcia
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.20467
Subject(s) - psychology , preference , hand preference , lateralization of brain function , cognitive psychology , clinical practice , task (project management) , laterality , audiology , developmental psychology , medicine , physical therapy , economics , microeconomics , management
The effect of lateralized practice on manual preference was investigated in right‐handed children. Probing tasks required reaching and grasping a pencil at distinct eccentricities in the right and left hemifields (simple), and its transportation and insertion into a small hole (complex). During practice, the children experienced manipulative tasks different from that used for probing, using the left hand only. Results showed that before practice the children used almost exclusively the right hand in the right hemifield and at the midline position. Following lateralized practice frequency of use of the left hand increased in most lateral positions. A more evident effect of lateralized practice on shift of manual preference was detected in the complex task. Implications for lateralization of behavior in a developmental timescale are discussed on the basis of the proposition of amplification and diffusion of manual preference from lateralized practice. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 52: 723–730, 2010.