Predicting hand preference with performance on motor tasks

Handedness may be defined as preference or hand-differences in task perform ance. The strength and significance of the relationship between hand prefer ence and hand performance asymmetries have been contested. To evaluate this relationship, we administered the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and measu red asymmetries in finger tapping, Purdue Pegboard, and grip strength in 30 subjects who prefer their right hand and 30 subjects who prefer their left hand. Hand asymmetries in finger tapping, Purdue Pegboard, and grip streng th each predicted hand preference scores. However, a multiple regression eq uation best predicted hand preference by using performance of each task. Ha nd asymmetries in finger tapping correlated strongly with asymmetries in Pu rdue Pegboard performance, but neither of these asymmetries correlated stro ngly with asymmetries in grip strength. These findings indicate that hand p reference and asymmetries in motor proficiency are strongly related, but su ggest that preference and proficiency for different aspects of motor perfor mance may be independently lateralized.