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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
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Frame-by-Frame Video Analysis of Idiosyncratic Reach-to-Grasp Movements in Humans
Published on: January 15, 2018
Constant error in aiming movements without visual feedback is higher in the preferred hand.
Alexandra Lenhard1, Joachim Hoffmann
1Lehrstuhl für Psychologie III, Julius-Maximilians Universität, Würzburg, Germany. lenhard@psychologie.uni-wuerzburg.de
Laterality
|April 25, 2007
Summary
Left-handers may have a spatial accuracy advantage with their non-preferred hand for aiming movements. This study explored hand preference and aiming accuracy, suggesting innate functional differences in motor control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Right-handers show a left-hand advantage in spatial planning for aiming movements.
- Limited research exists on left-handers' equivalent proficiency in aiming tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate spatial accuracy in aiming movements for both right-handers and left-handers.
- To determine if the non-preferred hand shows superior spatial accuracy in left-handers.
Main Methods:
- 48 participants (24 right-handers, 24 left-handers) performed hand aiming movements without visual feedback.
- Analysis focused on variable and constant aiming errors to assess spatial accuracy.
Main Results:
- The preferred hand showed a tendency towards lower variable aiming error.
- The non-preferred hand consistently exhibited lower constant aiming error across participants.
- Data suggest a spatial accuracy advantage for the controller of the non-preferred hand.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the concept of a spatial accuracy advantage for the non-preferred hand in aiming tasks.
- Evidence from an ambidextrous participant suggests this functional difference may be innate, not solely acquired through practice.
