| Abstract: | Indian (N = 400) and Japanese (N = 502) adult subjects were examined for their hand preference on a 7-point scale (1 = left always, 7 = right always) of the 32-item Waterloo Handedness Questionnaire (Steenhuis & Bryden, 1989). Factor analyses of the data yielded a two-factorial structure of hand preference: skilled and unskilled. Interaction of Culture × Hand preference indicated that Indians had more right-hand preference for unskilled activities whereas Japanese subjects had more right-hand preference for skilled activities. Further analyses revealed that the frequency of middle category responses was more common in Japanese subjects. Indian subjects were found to give more extreme responses for either right- or left-hand preference. Findings are discussed in the light of cultural training given to the individuals in these two societies, which are essentially collective in nature. |
