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When left means right: an explanation of the left cradling bias in terms of right hemisphere specializations
Author(s) -
Bourne Victoria J.,
Todd Brenda K.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
developmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.801
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1467-7687
pISSN - 1363-755X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2004.00318.x
Subject(s) - laterality , psychology , right hemisphere , lateralization of brain function , audiology , left and right , perception , developmental psychology , facial expression , attentional bias , cognitive psychology , cognition , communication , medicine , neuroscience , structural engineering , engineering
Previous research has indicated that 70–85% of women and girls show a bias to hold infants, or dolls, to the left side of their body. This bias is not matched in males (e.g. deChateau, Holmberg & Winberg, 1978 ; Todd, 1995 ). This study tests an explanation of cradling preferences in terms of hemispheric specialization for the perception of facial emotional expression. Thirty‐two right‐handed participants were given a behavioural test of lateralization and a cradling task. Females, but not males, who cradled a doll on the left side were found to have significantly higher laterality quotients than right cradlers. Results indicate that women cradle on the side of the body that is contralateral to the hemisphere dominant for face and emotion processing and suggest a possible explanation of gender differences in the incidence of cradling.