An Observational Method of Assessing Handedness in Children and Adults

The current study was performed to assess the WatHand Cabinet Test (WHCT), a newly developed multidimensional observational test of handedness. Because the test is observational, it is ideal for assessing children, as it does not require a high degree of verbal comprehension on the part of the participants. 548 individuals participated in the present study on a voluntary basis. Individuals of varying ages were examined (including 3 to 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11-year-olds, and 19-to 24-year-olds). Each participant was asked to complete the WHCT, the Annett Pegboard (Annett, 1985 Annett, M. 1985. Left, right, hand, and brain: The right-shift theory., Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. [Google Scholar]), and the Waterloo Handedness Questionnaire (WHQ) (M.P. Bryden, 1977 Bryden, M. P. 1977. Measuring handedness with questionnaires.. Neuropsychologia, 15: 617–624. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Overall, the total score on the WHCT was significantly correlated with both the WHQ, r =.795, p < .01, and the Annett Pegboard, r = .542, p < .01. Sub-scores measuring skilled performance, bimanual performance, and internal consistency were also examined, as well as performance on the three tests as a function of age. Overall, findings indicate that that the WHCT is a valid test of hand preference in both children and adults. Its ease of use, quick administration, and built-in quantitative sub-scores offer a robust alternative method for measuring hand preference.