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How sensitive are handedness prevalence figures to differences in questionnaire classification procedures?
1Dept. Psychology, University of Guelph, ON, Canada.
Brain and Cognition
|March 1, 1992
Summary
Handedness classification is unreliable due to varying questionnaire methods. Researchers should avoid using the simple right-handed/non-right-hander dichotomy for neuropsychological studies.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Human Behavior
Background:
- Handedness is a complex trait with varying definitions.
- Previous studies have not fully addressed the variability in handedness assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of questionnaire design on handedness classification.
- To evaluate the suitability of the right-handed/non-right-hander dichotomy in research.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of questionnaire data from 572 subjects.
- Examination of factors including questionnaire length, response format, and cut-off criteria.
Main Results:
- Significant variation in right-handed to non-right-handed ratios (1:100 to 92:8) was observed.
- This variability was dependent on questionnaire length, response type, and strictness of criteria.
Conclusions:
- The right-handed/non-right-hander dichotomy is inappropriate for classifying handedness in research.
- Strict criteria for defining right-handedness exacerbate classification issues, particularly when relating handedness to neuropsychological factors.