Cross-Cultural Effects on Hemispheric Specialization Reflected on a Task Requiring Spatial Discrimination of the Thumb by Japanese and American Students

Abstract

Difference limens and constant errors were obtained by the method of constant stimuli on a task requiring discrimination of the thumb's spatial position for 26 Japanese (13 male and 13 female) and 26 American (13 male and 13 female) college students. The left thumbs of Japanese and American subjects exhibited smaller difference limens, suggesting that both groups show the same hemispheric specialization of spatial perception. Japanese subjects showed smaller difference limens, but no sex difference was observed.