Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - 2003 - Volume 26, Issue 02  

Short Communication

Laterality probabilities fluctuate during ontogenetic development

Arve Vorland Pedersen a1 and Beatrix Vereijken a2

a1 Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Education, Sør-Trøndelag University College, Ranheimsvn. 10, N-7004 Trondheim, Norway Arve.Pedersen@ahs.hist.no
a2 Human Movement Science Section, Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway Beatrix.Vereijken@svt.ntnu.no www.svt.ntnu.no/idr/Beatrix.Vereijken/

Abstract

We argue that lateralities are not merely a result of phylogenetic processes but reflect probability functions that are influenced by task characteristics and extended practice. We support our argument by empirical findings on lateral biases in early infancy in general, and footedness in particular, and on hand preferences in nonhuman primates.