Hemispheric interaction in simple reaction time as a function of handedness

Abstract

Efficiency of hemispheric interactions in simple reaction time as a function of hand preference was investigated. Research suggests that left-handed individuals have more efficient hemispheric interactions. This is possibly due to their need to transfer information between hemispheres more frequently than right-handed individuals, a result of differing patterns of cerebral dominance explained by Annett’s (1998) right shift theory. Forty-eight right-handers and 48 non-right-handers, assessed by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (Oldfield, 1971) completed the study. Mean reaction times for the Poffenberger paradigm (Poffenberger, 1912) were used to calculate the crossed-uncrossed-difference (CUD); a measure of inter-hemispheric transfer time. Analyses revealed a non-significant CUD, and no effect of hand preference. Possible methodological limitations and alternative explanations accounting for these findings are discussed.