Does Handedness for Prehension Predict Handedness for Role-Differentiated Bimanual Manipulation During Infancy?

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Claudio L. Ferre (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
George Michel

Abstract: The clearly observable behaviors that identify infant hand-use preferences make the development of this sensorimotor form of lateralization a valuable model for evaluating the development of other forms of lateral asymmetries of function. The current study examined the relation of individual patterns of development of handedness for reaching for objects (prehension) to the emergence of handedness in role-differentiated bimanual manipulation (RDBM). RDBM requires each hand to perform different, but complementary, actions on one or more objects. Hand-use reference for reaching for and grasping objects was assessed in a sample of 85 infants from the period of 6- to 11-months of age using a validated handedness assessment that consists of a series of presentations of 34 common infant toys. At 11 and 14 months, hand-use preferences for RDBM were assessed while the infants were involved in semiplay activity in which they were presented with a series of 13 toys (20-40 s for each presentation). Results revealed no significant relationship between prehension handedness and handedness for RDBM. However, multi-level modeling of the prehension data revealed interesting developmental changes in prehension handedness that can only be identified by using monthly sampling intervals with longitudinal methods.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 2008
Keywords
Handedness, Prehension, Role-Differentiated Bimanual Manipulation, Infancy, sensorimotor, lateralization, role-differentiated bimanual manipulation (RDBM)
Subjects
Hand $x Movements
Motor ability in infants.
Left- and right-handedness.
Child Development $x physiology.

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