Cortex: A Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior; XXXVI, 5, 2000: Predicting Hand Preference with Performance on Motor Tasks

Handedness may be defined as a preference or difference in task performance. The strength and significance of the relationship between hand preference and hand performance asymmetries have been contested, and

in order to evaluate this relationship, the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory was administered to measure asymmetries in finger tapping, the Purdue Pegboard, and grip strength. There were thirty right-handed subjects and thirty left-handed ones. Hand asymmetries in finger tapping, the Purdue Pegboard, and grip strength all predicted hand preference scores. However, a multiple regression equation best predicted hand preference based on the performance of each task. Hand asymmetries in finger tapping correlated strongly with asymmetries in Purdue Pegboard performance, but neither of these asymmetries correlated strongly with asymmetries in grip strength. These findings indicate that hand preference and asymmetries in motor proficiency are strongly related, but suggest that preference and proficiency for different aspects of motor performance may be independently lateralized.