Examining the relationship between degree of handedness and degree of cerebral lateralization for processing facial emotion

Victoria J Bourne

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    74 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This paper examines the relationship between degree of handedness and degree of cerebral lateralization on a task of processing positive facial emotion in right-handed individuals. Three hundred and thirteen right-handed participants (157 women) were given two behavioral tests of lateralization: a handedness questionnaire and a chimeric faces test. Two further handedness measures were taken: familial left-handedness and writing posture. Regression analysis showed that both degree of handedness and sex were predictive of degree of lateralization. Individuals who were strongly right-handed were also more strongly lateralized to the right hemisphere for the task. Men were more strongly lateralized than women. Data were reanalyzed for men and women separately. The relationship between handedness and lateralization remained for men only. Neither familial left-handedness nor writing posture were associated with cerebral lateralization for men or women. The results suggest a positive relationship between degree of handedness and degree of cerebral lateralization, and further that there is a sex difference in this relationship.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)350-356
    Number of pages7
    JournalNeuropsychology
    Volume22
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

    Keywords

    • Adolescent
    • Adult
    • Dominance, Cerebral
    • Emotions
    • Face
    • Facial Expression
    • Female
    • Functional Laterality
    • Humans
    • Male
    • Middle Aged
    • Pattern Recognition, Visual
    • Photic Stimulation
    • Regression Analysis

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Examining the relationship between degree of handedness and degree of cerebral lateralization for processing facial emotion'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this