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Hemispheric asymmetries in attentional control: implications for hand preference in sensorimotor tasks
1Memory Disorders Research Center, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, Massachusetts 02130.
Brain and Cognition
|September 1, 1990
Summary
Handedness may be influenced by attention. This study found that selective attention and intention interact, favoring the right hand for optimal preparation in sensorimotor tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Handedness, or hand preference, has traditionally been linked to hemispheric specialization for skilled motor execution.
- While motor control asymmetries are significant, emerging research suggests handedness is multifactorial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of attentional asymmetries in contributing to hand preferences.
- To explore the interplay between selective attention and selective intention in motor task preparation.
Main Methods:
- Right-handed participants completed a reaction time task.
- The task involved cues for target location (selective attention) or response hand (selective intention).
Main Results:
- Selective attention and selective intention were found to influence each other reciprocally.
- These attentional and intentional processes demonstrated a bias favoring the right hand's preparation.
Conclusions:
- Hemispheric asymmetries in attentional control play a role in determining hand preferences for specific sensorimotor tasks.
- This suggests a broader neurological basis for handedness beyond motor execution alone.