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Reading mirror-reversed text: sinistrals really are inferior.
1Department of Psychology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Brain and Language
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Left-handers (sinistrals) showed inferior performance compared to right-handers (dextrals) when reading mirror-reversed text, contradicting earlier findings. This study highlights differences in reading abilities based on handedness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Behavior
Background:
- Previous research on sinistral superiority in reading mirror-reversed text yielded conflicting results.
- Studies by Tankle and Heilman (1982) suggested sinistral advantage, while Bradshaw et al. (1985) found no such advantage or even inferiority in strong familial sinistrals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate reading performance of sinistrals with mirror-reversed text using specific subject selection criteria.
- To reconcile discrepancies in previous findings regarding handedness and mirror-reversed text reading.
Main Methods:
- Subjects were selected based on criteria similar to those used by Tankle and Heilman.
- Reading of left-right mirror-reversed material was assessed in sinistral and dextral participants.
Main Results:
- Sinistrals demonstrated significantly lower performance than dextrals in reading mirror-reversed material.
- This finding contrasts with the sinistral superiority reported by Tankle and Heilman.
Conclusions:
- Under specific selection criteria, sinistrals are inferior to dextrals in reading mirror-reversed text.
- Handedness and familial sinistrality may influence cognitive processing of visual stimuli like reversed text.