DIFFERENCES IN DIVERGENT THINKING AS A FUNCTION OF HANDEDNESS AND SEX

The relationship between handedness and divergent thinking was explore d in four studies. Experiment 1 (N = 556) used the Alternate Uses Test , Experiment 2 (N = 941) tested object synthesis, and Experiment 3 (N = 965) tested ideational flexibility. No difference as a function of h andedness was found in Experiment 1, but in Experiments 2 and 3 diverg ent thinking was significantly related to handedness in males. Left-ha nded males had higher divergent thinking scores, and the scores rose s ystematically with increasing sinistrality. Handedness was not related to divergent thinking ability in females. Experiment 4 (N = 1,548) sh owed that these differences were not associated with superiority by le ft-handed individuals in convergent thinking. Interpretations based on altered neurological development due to factors such as fetal testost erone exposure are discussed.