The Relationship of Hand Dominance to the Motor Coordination, Mental Ability, and Right-Left Awareness of Young Normal Children

Abstract

Normal children who had established hand dominance, as measured by the McCarthy Scales, were compared on mental and motor variables with youngsters who did not give evidence of dominance. Using the McCarthy normative sample (N = 1,032) as the data source, significant differences in cognitive and motor ability were found for 2(1/2)--4(1/2)-year-olds but not for 5--8(1/2)-year-olds. However, a significant relationship between handedness and right versus left awareness was obtained for the older group.