Lateral Eye Movement as Related to Verbal and Perceptual-Motor Skills and Values

Abstract

After being asked a reflective question, individuals usually move their eyes either right or left before answering. Consistent right-movers and left-movers were compared on a variety of measures. Relative to left-movers, right-movers: (a) performed significantly better on a concept identification task; (b) showed a significantly greater Mathematics-Verbal discrepancy on the Scholastic Aptitude Test; and (c) tended to perform more poorly on an inverted alphabet-printing task, to major in science/quantitative areas, and to display greater theoretical and economic interests and lesser aesthetic and social interests. The results are consistent with Bakan's (1969) suggestion that lateral eye movement is related to the functional organization of the brain.