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Related Experiment Videos

Torque, lateral preference, and cognitive ability in primary-grade children.

C Boake, P G Salmon, G Carbone

    Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
    |March 1, 1983
    PubMed
    Summary

    This study found that the tendency to draw circles clockwise (torque) in children is not linked to psychopathology or cognitive ability. Torque decreases with age and is more common in males, but does not correlate with handedness.

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    Area of Science:

    • Child Psychology
    • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
    • Human Motor Control

    Background:

    • Torque, the tendency for clockwise circle drawing, has been hypothesized as a marker for psychopathology and linked to left-handedness.
    • Previous research findings are conflicting, partly due to imprecise definitions and unreliable torque assessments.
    • Understanding torque's developmental trajectory and its relation to cognitive and motor lateralization is crucial.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the relationship between torque, lateral preference, and cognitive ability in young children.
    • To clarify the developmental trends of torque and its association with sex.
    • To evaluate the hypothesis that torque is symptomatic of psychopathology.

    Main Methods:

    • Administered measures of torque, lateral preference (hand and foot), and cognitive ability to 181 children in kindergarten and first grade.

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  • Assessed torque by observing circle-drawing patterns at two time points.
  • Analyzed data for correlations between torque, age, sex, cognitive ability, and lateral preference patterns.

    • Main Results:

    • Torque decreased with age and was more prevalent in males.
    • Children with consistent clockwise or counter-clockwise torque patterns did not differ in overall cognitive ability.
    • No significant differences were found in hand or foot preference strength, direction, or concordance based on torque patterns.

    Conclusions:

    • The study's findings do not support the hypothesis that torque is a marker for psychopathology.
    • Torque exhibits developmental changes and sex differences, but is not associated with cognitive ability or lateral preference in this cohort.
    • Further research with refined methodologies is needed to fully elucidate the nature and implications of torque.