ASPECTS OF HANDEDNESS

180 Pages·1998·8.23 MB·English

ASPECTS OF HANDEDNESS:
COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE VARMBLES
Sari Alony
A thesh rubmiüed in confonnity with the requiremenb
for the degrw of Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Humn Devekpment and Applkd Psychobgy
University of Toronto
at the Ontario Insütute for Studies in Edueatbn
O Copyright by San Alony 1997
National Library Bibliothèque nationale
du Canada
Acquisitions and Acquisitions et
Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques
395 Wellington Street 395, nie Wellington
OeiawaON K1A ON4 OttawaON KlAOlU4
Canada Canada
The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non
exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la
National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de
reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou
copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous
paper or electroaic formats. la forme de microfiche/£ih, de
reproduction sur papier ou sur format
électronique.
The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du
copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse.
thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels
may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés
reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son
permission. autorisation.
ASPECTS OF HANDEDNESS:
COGNITNE AND AFFECTIVE VARIABLES
by Sati Alony
A thesQ submitted in confomity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Ph ilosophy (19 97)
Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology
of the University of Toronto at the Ontario lnstitute for Studies in Education
ABSTRACT
The issue of whether differences exist between right-handed and left-handed people in
cognition and emotion was addressed in two studies.
Study 1 was conducted with 974 right-handed and 108 left-handed lsraeli schoolchildren
aged 8 to 11 yean. The test battery included cognitive and affective measures. Cognition was
evaluated by The MEM Questionnaire, The Coloured Progressive Matrices and The Standard
Progressive Matrices. Affective ability was assessed by The Self Concept Scale. The Anxiety
Scale. The lntellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire, and the IntrinsicIxtrinsic
Motivational Questionnaire. Data on school achievement and teachers' evaluation of children's
mental, emotional and social skills were also collected.
Results demonstrated no significant differonces between right- and left-handed children on
any performance tasks in either domain. Lefî-handed children showed similar capabilities on
higher order verbal and non-verbal thinking and resembled the right-handed groups in the
affective domain. They showed the same levels of anxiety, and obtained the same scores on
self concept, motivation and locus of control. The findings also suggested the existence of
stronger associations between Syllogism and Categoriration and non-verbal cognitive
processing. and between cognition and ernotion in the le% as compared to the right-handed
children. Teachers evaluated the left-handed children as having significantly lower social
skills.
Study 2 focused on perception of emotion on chimeric faces (faces with a half sad haff happy
configuration). The sample consisted of 48 univenity students and cornputer workers; 21
right-handers, 21 left-handers and 6 switched-handed subjects. Data were collected on
manual activity, and subjects were presented with booklets with pictures of chimeric faces and
their mirror images. They were asked to judge which of the faces seem to be happier.
Findings showed significant differences between right- and lefi-handed subjects in their
perceptual biases: right-handed subjects judged the left-positive configuration as happier and
the left-handed subjects judged the right-positive configuration as the happier one.
The surn of the resuits seem to indicate that differences in self organization might exist
between right- and left-handed individuals. Fumer research is needed to substantiate these
findings.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost I Wsh to expmss my profound gratitude to my supervisor. Keith
Oatley. whose inspired teadiing illuminated the path of this researdi. His guidance and
encouragement made this "cross-continent" projed possible.
My thanks also go to Bernard Schiff for his invaluable advice and support in conducting
the second study. and for his suggestions that made the whole study a more
substantial one; to Esther Geva for her advice and constant moral and practical
support; and to Adriana Feldman, for her invaluable contribution to the lsraeli study and
for inspiring me to investigate the subject of rny interest.
I am grateful to Susan Elgie for her assistance with the statistical analysis; fsrael
Nachshon for his valuable suggestions, and Ken Raichman for his help and advice on
the editing side.
Special thanks go to al1 the schools, counsellors, teachers and children in Israel who
participated in this research, and to the students and cornputer operaton in Toronto
who volunteered to take part in this study, and helped tum it into a happy adventure.
Hearfful thanks go to al1 my friends, who were there for me when things got hard.
My deepest thanks go to my husband Gabriel, who gave constant support, assistance
and adviœ in every possible way, and to my children Omi, Tammy and Gal who
endured separation and my preoccupation, yet still wnstétntly enwuraged me to go on
with this pmject.
Table of Contents
Page
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Attitudes towards left-handedness
Early theones
New approaches: the brain-hand connection
What detemines handedness?
Distinguishing handedness
Cognitive Aspects
Cognitive performance of the left-handed
Cognitive styles and handedness
Affective aspects
Anxiety
Anxiety and leaming
Seif-Concept
Seif-concept and leaming
Motivation
Locus of Control
Left-handedness and emotion
The present research
CHAPTER 2
STUDY 1
Rationale
A pilot study on handedness
The present study
Design
Hypotheses
Definition of ternis
Methods
Sub jects
Measu res
Background Information
Personal information
School achievements
The mgnitive aspects
Verbal cognitive ability
Non-verbal cognitive ability
The affective aspects
Self concept
Anxiety
Locus of control
Motivation
Procedures
Results
Demographic Influences and Formation of Matched Groups of
Left- and Right-Handed Subjects
Formation of a matched right-handed group
Results on Children's Performance
Cognitive performance
Verbal cognitive ability
Non Verbal Logical Ability
The relationships betwaen the verbal and non-verbal
cognitive measures
Affective Masure
Seif-concept
Anxiety
Locus of control
Motivation
Relationships between cognition and emotion
Anxiety and cogniüve performance
Selc oncept and cognitive performanœ
School Achievements
Gender effects
Discussion
The relationship between verbal and non-verbal cognition
Relationships between cognition and emotion
Limitations of this study
Future research
CHAPTER 3
STUDY 2
Background and Rationale
Perception of emotion on faces
Perception of emotion on chimerie faces
The present study
Hy potheses
Design
Methods
Su bjects
Measures
Judgement of chimeric faces
Measures of handedness
The Handedness Questionnaire
Bi-manual acüvtty
Use of the nondominant hand
Direction of drawing a line and hand posture
Familial handedness
Procedures
Results
Judgement of chimeric faces
Pictures side by side
Pictures one above the other
Companng the two presentation techniques
Direction
Manual activity
Handedness questionnaire
Bi-manual activ'i
Using the non-dominant hand
Familial left-handedness
Discussion
Manual activity
The switched-handed group
viii
CHAPTER 4
GENERAL DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Sorne speculations on the implications of brain structure
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
Appendix 1
Appendix II
Appendix III
Appendix N
Appendix V
Appendix VI
Appendix VI1
Appendix Vlll
Appendix IX
Appendix X
Appendix XI