Sex and Handedness in Simple and Integrated Task Performance

Abstract

Spatial and sequential tasks which were performed both independently and jointly were compared for 40 college undergraduates grouped by sex and dominant hand. The two tasks were selected based on prior research suggesting that each is controlled in a different brain hemisphere. When the two tasks were performed independently there was no handedness effect nor was there any sex-hand interaction. There was an expected slight spatial superiority of males. However, when both tasks were performed simultaneously, there was a significant advantage for right-handers and again a slight advantage for males. Results were attributed to the hemispheric interference left-handers experienced on the joint task due to their less distinct hemispheric specialization.