Manual laterality in hearing impaired and hearing children

This study was designed to investigate the differences in hand preference and skilled hand movement between hearing impaired and non-hearing impaired children. The subjects were 78 hearing impaired (44 males, 34 females) and 68 normal hearing children (24 males, 44 females). Hand preference was measured through performance of ten tasks requiring hand use. Skilled hand movement was measured by a timed peg displacement task. The preference scores were classified as right and non-right hand preference and the skilled movement task was analyzed for speed of displacement of pegs for preferred and non-preferred hands. The hearing impaired subjects were significantly different from the normal controls in frequency of right hand preference with normal controls showing more frequent right handedness. The degree of deafness was not a significant factor in frequency of right preference in the hearing impaired group. On the peg displacement task, hand was significant, both the hearing impaired and normal control subjects were significantly faster with their right hands. Group approached significance. The unexpected result was that children with the greater degree of hearing loss performed better than those with less hearing impairment.

Grantor dc:publisher

Boston University

Year dc:date.issued

1988

Author dc:creator

• Salvadia, Angela M.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Dc Identifier Other

b19836892

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.bu.edu:2144/38098