Familial handedness and spatial ability: a study with Chinese students aged 14-24

Brain Cogn. 2003 Apr;51(3):375-84. doi: 10.1016/s0278-2626(03)00041-1.

Abstract

This study tested Annett's right-shift theory on spatial ability with two samples from China. The Vandenberg Mental Rotation Test (MRT), Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, and Family Handedness Questionnaire were administered to 266 high school students and 297 undergraduates. We found very few r++ or r-- among Chinese students. Most Chinese are either moderately right-handed or ambidextrous. Consistent with Casey's finding, we found using different methods to classify handedness leads to different conclusions. However, we did not find the effect of familial handedness that Casey found. Visual strategy is related to success on the MRT but handedness is not.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Culture*
  • Female
  • Functional Laterality / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Motion Perception / physiology
  • Rotation
  • Space Perception / physiology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Visual Perception / physiology