Investigates the relationship between the perinatal hormonal environment and the development of cognitive sex differences. Compares 25 upper class women aged 14 to 24 who were exposed prenatally to diethylstilbestrol (DES) and their unexposed sisters. Subjects show a more masculine pattern of lateralization than their sisters but are similar in…

Studied hand skill and performance in children (N=115) of left-handed parents using peg moving tasks and soccer kicks. Concluded that being raised by two left-handed parents does little to hinder the expression of the rs plus gene. Correlations for handedness in families depend more on genetics than experience. (Author/JAC)

This literature review examines the research on the use of right and left hands in the reading of braille. Results suggest that right-handed people may read braille more accurately with the left hand. Studies have also found differences between girls and boys and changes over the developmental period. (DB)

Suggests that "Johnny can't read" because of high testosterone levels in fetal development and subsequent poor brain lateralization. Presents instructional strategies based on the principle of factorized teaching for each of three discrete lateralization categories. Notes that the use of factorized teaching appears to have improved diagnostic and…

Replicating research completed in 1986, a study determined the relationship among cognitive laterality, gender, and reading comprehension for African-American students, as well as gender differences in cognitive laterality and in reading comprehension. Subjects, 40 African-American males, 41 African-American females, 12 White males, and 17 White…

A study replicated a study done in 1986: both studies determined the relationship among cognitive laterality, gender, and reading comprehension for African-American students, and the relationship between hemispheric preference and reading comprehension or gender. A standardized reading test to measure reading comprehension and the Cognitive…

A study examined laterality effects observed in previous studies in which men as well as right-handers show a right-visual field (RVF) advantage for letter recall and a left-visual field (LVF) advantage for letter position recall, suggesting asymmetrical brain organization for these groups. Subjects, 96 undergraduates equally divided by sex and…

A follow-up study was made of cross-sectional research on the development of dichhaptic lateralization. One hundred and eighty students in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 from two school districts were tested. Participants were 9 boys and 9 girls from each grade level for each district. Subjects were at least 90 percent right-handed, as determined by…

Some of the major lines of investigation that point to neurophysiological factors in spatial skill are presented. These lines include: the two hemispheres of the brain, recent studies, tachistoscopic studies, morphological differences between the cerebral hemispheres, Geschwind and Levitsky's discovery, cerebral dominance re-examined, sex…

Differences between left and right hemispheric subjects in recalling information presented as pictures and words were studied. The hemisphericity of 133 college students (37 males and 96 females) was identified using the Human Information Process Survey. These subjects were shown 25 concrete nouns individually either as pictures or words. The data…

There is a growing awareness among researchers that the magnitude of cognitive sex differences is affected by a number of subject variables. To examine spatial and verbal cognitive sex differences as a function of personal and family handedness, the 478 offspring who participated in the Minnesota family study and 454 offspring who participated in…

Some data on sex and handedness in relation to academic predictors and success in architectural education were reexamined. The new variable was the notion of visual thinking, measured by the manner, "visually" or "cognitively," of executing a simple line drawing. As expected, significant differences appeared between persons using these modes.…

A study investigated whether a correlation exists between the degree and nature of left-brain laterality and specific reading and spelling difficulties. Subjects, 50 normal readers and 50 reading disabled persons native to the island of Bornholm, had their auditory laterality screened using pure-tone audiometry and dichotic listening. Results…

Sex differences in cognitive skills, grouped into motor, spatial and linguistic areas, are assessed in relation to current theories of cerebral lateralization. Few convincing sex differences exist, either overall, or in interactions with functional localization. Qualifying criteria include age, birth order, culture, sex of experimenter and sex…