Reformulation

Abstract

Since the first chapter, it has been clear that human behavior is predictably asymmetrical. Human beings consistently use one limb or sense organ rather than the other in many of their behavioral coordinations. Furthermore, human populations are predominantly right sided in that the majority of them tend to show a preference for the right hand, right foot, right eye, and right ear. At the outset of our enquiry these lateral preferences seemed to be a simple set of behaviors, presumably with easily specified functions, causes, and correlates. Unfortunately this presumption was an oversimplification, and the implications of these simple asymmetries are much broader than we expected initially. Our investigation of lateral preferences has forced us to consider a broad spectrum of variables, including neurological and physiological factors, genetics, pathological conditions, cognitive and language skills, sensorimotor coordination, individual differences, and developmental processes. We have surveyed nearly 1,000 published reports, and we have gathered new data from some 20,000 subjects. All of this effort has resulted from an attempt to answer supposedly simple questions about simple behaviors.