THE GESCHWIND AND GALABURDA THEORY OF CEREBRAL LATERALIZATION - AN EMPIRICAL-EVALUATION OF ITS ASSUMPTIONS

The relationship between male gender, left-handedness, high visuo-spat ial and mathematical skill, speech problems and increased vulnerabilit y to immune disorders was assessed in a large sample of university und ergraduates. The only significant finding was a two-way interaction be tween hand preference and incidence of speech problems, with ''pure'' left-handers reporting a three-fold increase in the incidence of speec h problems compared to mixed left-handers, mixed right-handers and ''p ure'' right-handers. There was no evidence of an interaction among thr ee or more of the variables. These findings are discussed in relation to the influential theory of cerebral lateralisation proposed by Gesch wind and Galaburda (1987).