Laterality and Directional Preferences in Preschool Children

Abstract

Directional preference for horizontal hand movements was investigated in 49 right-handed and 49 left-handed 4-yr.-olds, using three tests: (1) copying a line drawn between two dots, (2) starting to trace around a bilaterally symmetrical angular path, and (3) drawing a line after a demonstration. Both handedness groups showed strong preference for outward movements for simple line drawing, though there was a significant tendency to copy the demonstrated direction. For the tracing task, both handedness groups exhibited directional preference for the right hand only. Conflicting results of earlier studies can be reconciled with each other and with these data by assuming that directionality for more complex perceptual-motor tasks has a different basis from directionality for simple motor tasks and that it is established at a later age but only for the right hand. Differences between the hands may be in specialization of contralateral hemispheres. Footedness, eyedness were not significant.