Left -Handedness Laterality Characteristics and Their
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LEFT -HANDEDNESS LATERALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND THEIR EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS by Margaret MacDonald Clark, M.A., Ed.B. Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy University of Glasgow 1953 ProQuest Number: 13838552 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 13838552 Published by ProQuest LLC(2019). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 ii PREFACE Lack of knowledge concerning left-handedness springs from the multiplicity of studies and contradictory nature of the findings on the various aspects of laterality, father than any insufficiency of material on the subject. The absence of any single authoritative work and extensiveness of existing material make necessary for a full appreciation of the problem a study more prolonged than the average interested person is willing or able to make. The present work, presenting as it does both an attempt at critical evaluation of previous investigations and an original study of laterality characteristics in a group of normal children, will it is hoped satisfy a need for a comprehensive report on the subject. The practical problems confronting teachers and parents dealing with left-handed children have been kept in the forefront through out, in the hope that the information contained herein may make some contribution towards a better understanding of left-handedness and may even lead to a more tolerant attitude towards the * sinister minority*, to which the author herself belongs. Acknowledgment has been made of all printed sources consulted. The author wishes to state her indebtedness to all those who by their practical assistance, encouragement and invaluable advice have contributed to this study. From the absence of individual reference to those many friends it should not be inferred that the author is any the less conscious that without their assistance the work could never have been completed. M m r lii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION........................ 1 PART I A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS ON LATERALITY CHARACTERISTICS. II. THEORIES ON THE CAUSE OF HAND PREFERENCE..... 9 The Problem............................ 9 Early Investigations .................. 11 Primitive Warfare Theory ........... 13 The Mechanical and Centre of Gravity Theories ....................... 14 Eye Dominance ...... 16 Chance ^actors ........................ 18 Education............................ 19 Left-Handedness as a Form of Negativism. 20 Cerebral Dominance and Left-Handedness.. 22 III. THE INHERITANCE OF LEFT-HANDEDNESS....... 25 The Facts to be Explained.............. 27 Difficulties in Explaining the Facts.... 28 Studies of the Inheritance of Handedness 31 Sex Difference in Handedness ........... 34 Twinning and Left-Handedness .......... 35 IV. DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS OF LATERALITY 41 Early Studies of the Development of Handedness....................... 41 Controlled Studies .................... 43 Development of Eye Dominance........... 49 V. PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF DOMINANCE AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SPEECH AND HANDEDNESS .............................. 51 Studies of Handedness in Animals...... 52 The Dominant Hemisphere and the Preferred Hand .................... 59 Changed Handedness and Brain Dominance. 63 The Function of the Minor Hemisphere... 66 Ambidexterity and Retarded Speech 72 iv Chapter P&gQ YI. STUTTERING M D HANDEDNESS.......... 76 Stuttering........................ 78 Handedness and Stuttering......... 87 Changed Handedness and Stuttering... 91 Conclusions .......................... 100 VII. THE MEASUREMENT 0E HANDEDNESS.......... 103 Types of Tests Preference ......................... 104 Strength......................... 108 Speed ............................... Ill Other Motor T e s t s ................ 113 Simultaneous Bimanual Drawing ...... 113 VIII. THE MEASUREMENT OE EYE DOMINANCE 123 Types of Tests Sighting Preference in Monocular V i s i o n ...... 125 Visual Acuity .................... 127 Sighting Preference in Binocular V i s i o n ....................... 128 The Phi Test of Eye Dominance........ 133 Retinal Rivalry Tests ............... 135 IX. CROSSED LATERALITY................. 138 Crossed Laterality of Hand and Eye ... 138 Other Aspects of Crossed Laterality... 148 X. LEFT - HANDEDNESS AND WRITING PROBLEMS.... 150 General Discussion.................. 150 Common Characteristics of Writing with the Left Hand ................ 156 Causes of the Characteristics of Left-Hand Writers .................. 159 Suggestions for the Teaching of Left-Hand Writers .................. 164 XI. MIRROR-WRITING...................... 174 Definition of Mirror-Writing........ 174 The Explanation of Mirror-Writing .... 177 Prevention of Mirrcr-Script .......... 182 XII. LATERALITY PREFERENCES AND READING DIFFICULTIES ...................... 384 V Chapter Pfffa®. PART II AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE LATERALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF A GROUP OF 330 CHILDREN. 194. XIII. DISCUSSION OF THE THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF LATERALITY DISTRIBUTION IN THE NORMAL <. POPULATION............................... 195 XIV. AIMS OF THE STUDY AND SELECTION OF THE GROUP FOR INVESTIGATION.................. 203 The Problem........................... 203 Selection of the Experimental Group.... 205 XV. SELECTION OF TESTS AND METHOD OF TESTING 212 Selection of Tests .................. 212 Method of Testing..................... 218 Details of Tests ...................... 221 Tests and Instructions................ 223 XVI. RESULTS OF TEE THIRTEEN TESTS OF LATERALITY PREFERENCE ................... 241 Treatment of Results .................. 241 Discussion on the Results of the Individual Preference Tests .......... 246 Handedness........................ 246 Footedness ........................ 252 Earedness ......................... 258 Eyedness.......................... 264 XVII. COMPARISON OF LATERALITY CHARACTERISTICS AS MEASURED BY PREFERENCE T E S T S ......... 270 Handedness and Footedness.......... 271 ^ Handedness and Earedness..... 273 Handedness and Eyedness... ........ 274 Eyedness and Earedness............. 278 XVIII. RESULTS OF THE SPEED OF CROSSING TEST.... 281 Method of Treating Results............ 281 Comparison of Scores of Right-and Left- Handers ............................. 282 Index of Handedness.................. 284 Comparison of Speed of Crossing and Hand Preference T e s t s ............... 288 / Chapter Page XIX. RESULTS OF THE SIMULTANEOUS WRITING AMD VAN RIPER T E S T S ................ 293 Simultaneous Writing Test ........ 294 The Van Riper Test ......... 299 XX. RESULTS OF THE WRITING TEST ........ 321 General Discussion............ 321 Speed of Writing................ 323 Comparison of Speed on the Writing and Crossing Tests ........... 328 Quality of Writing.............. 332 Comparison between Quality and Speed of Writing ...... 335 XXI. ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS OF THE LEFT- HANDED SUBJECTS................... 339 Analysis of the Preference Test Results ................... 339 Fine Movement and Alternating Movement T e s t s ....... 344 Achievement Test Results and Left-Handedness................. 346 Information on Left-Handedness gained from the Left-Handed Subjects........................ 349 Sex Difference in Handedness. 352 XXII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS......... 359 Summary .......... 359 Conclusions ............. 368 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................... 372 vii LIST OF TABLES. Table Page I. Humber of Children Tested: By Schools,.... 210 II. Number of Children Tested: By Grades of School.............................211 III. Tests used and Order of Applying .........219 IV. Frequency of Different Degrees of Preference for all Subjects on Screwing Test ....... 246 V. Frequency of Different Degrees of Preference for all Subjects on Reaching Test ................................... 249 VI. Frequency of Different Degrees of Preference for all Subjects on Throwing Test ............................ 250 VII. Correlation Between Tests of Hand Preference (330 Subjects) ............ 251 VIII. Frequency of Different Degrees of Preference for all Subjects on Kicking Test ....................... 252 IX. Frequency of Different Degrees of Preference for all Subjects on Stepping T e s t ........ 254 X. Frequency of Different Degrees of Preference for all Subjects on Hopping Test ........................... 255 XI. Correlation Between Tests of Foot Preference (330 Subjects).......... 256 XII. Frequency of Different Degree of Preference for all Subjects on Sound in Box Test .......................... 258 XIII. Frequency of Different Degree of Preference for all Subjects on Stop Watch Test ............................ 260 XIV. Frequency of Different Degrees of Preference for all Subjects on Head Turning Test .......................... 262 / viii Table Page XV. Correlation Between Tests of Ear Preference (330 Subjects) .......... 263 XVI. Frequency of Different Degrees of Preference for all Subjects on Cone Test 264 XVII. Frequency of Different Degrees of Preference for all Subjects on Hole in Card Test ...... 265 XVIII.