Temporal integration of form as a function of subject handedness and retinal locus of presentation

Two experiments are reported examining differences in perceptual processing as a function of subject handedness. Experiment 1 compared performance in the left vs right visual fields of right- vs left-handed subjects. Only right-handed subjects exhibited an interaction of visual field with spatial frequency (as mediated by interflash interval), suggesting that left-handers are not differentially lateralized for high vs low spatial frequency processing. Experiment 2 examined foveal performance in left-handers vs right-handers with or without familial sinistrality. Subjects with personal or familial sinistrality exhibited superior performance when the processing of low frequencies was required, suggesting that sinistrality may confer an advantage in the processing of lower spatial frequencies.