Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Asymmetry of object-focused (gestural) and body-focused (self-touching) movements was investigated in a sample of 14 field-dependent and 14 field-independent right-handed male college students. The data were obtained from standardized, videotaped interviews which consisted of an abstract and a concrete communicative task. Significant right-hand asymmetry was found for gestures which depict or represent (motor primacy movements, p < .01) but not for nonrepresentational speech primacy movements. In general, field-independents had greater right-hand asymmetry than field-dependents for object-focused movements, whereas field-dependents showed more left-hand asymmetry of self-touching. Results are discussed in terms of a possible relationship between extent of movement asymmetry and the use of visual imagery in verbal encoding.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Freedman

Hoffman

S. P.

Kinetic behavior in altered clinical states: An approach to the objective analysis of motor behavior during clinical interviews. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1967, 24, 525–539.

Freedman

O'Hanlon

Oltman

Wetkin

H. A.

The imprint of psychological differentiation on kinetic behavior in varying communicative contexts. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1972, 79, 239–258.

Kimura

Manual activity during speaking: I. Right-handers. Neuropsychologia, 1973, 11, 45–50. (a)

Kimura

Manual activity during speaking: II. Left-handers. Neuropsychologia, 1973, 11, 51–55. (b)

Leiderman

P. H.

Imagery and sensory deprivation: An experimental study. (MRL-TDR-62-28) Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 6570th Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories, Aerospace Medical Division, May, 1962.

Oltman

P. K.

A portable rod-and-frame apparatus. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1968, 26, 503–506.

Oltman

P. K.

Ehrlichman

Cox

P. W.

Field independence and laterality in the perception of faces. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1977, 45, 255–260.

Oltman

P. K.

Raskin

Wjtkin

H. A.

Group Embedded-figures Test. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1971.

Paivio

Imagery and verbal processes. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1971.

10.

Paivio

Yuille

J. C.

Madigan

Concreteness, imagery and meaningfulness values for 925 nouns. Journal of Experimental Psychology Monograph Supplement, 1968, 76, (1, Part 2).

11.

Pizzamiglio

Handedness, ear-preference, and field dependence. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1974, 38, 700–702.

12.

Sheehan

P. W.

A shortened form of Betts' questionnaire upon mental imagery. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1967, 23, 386–389.

13.

Silverman

A. J.

Adevat

McGough

W. E.

Some relationships between handedness and perception. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 1966, 10, 151–158.

14.

Sousa-Poza

J. F.

Rohrberg

Body movement in relation to type of information (person- and nonperson-oriented) and cognitive style (field dependence). Human Communication Research, 1977, 4, 19–29.

15.

Winer

B. J.

Statistical principles in experimental design. (2nd ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971.

16.

Witkin

H. A.

Dyk

R. B.

Faterson

H. F.

Goodenough

D. R.

Karp

S. A.

Psychological differentiation. Potomac, Md.: Erlbaum Assoc., 1974. (Originally published, 1962)

17.

Zoccolotti

Oltman

P. K.

Field dependence and lateralization of verbal and configurational processing. Cortex, in press.

Effects of Type of Information (Abstract-Concrete) and Field Dependence on Asymmetry of Hand Movements during Speech

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References