The effect of handedness on interhemispheric interaction in a simple reaction time task

Abstract

An individual’s handedness was hypothesised to affect their reaction times when using them to measure interhemispheric interaction. 40 male and female participants filled out an Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and took part in a simple reaction time experiment on a computer. A crossed-uncrossed difference was calculated and a mixed analysis of variance was carried out. The study found a crossed-uncrossed difference of -3.8 milliseconds (ms), while right handers were found to react faster, -2.7ms, than left handers, -4.9ms. No main effect of handedness was found, 0.277 (p=> 0.05) and no interaction between hand and visual field was found, 0.241 (p=> 0.05). Implications and possible methodological limitations of the study are discussed along with alternative explanations for the results found.