A developmental analysis of the relationship between hand preference and performance: I. Preferential reaching into hemispace

The present study describes a developmental performance measure of hand preference that considers task complexity and position in hemispace. Eighty right-handed children and adults (ages 3-4, 6-7, 9-10, 18-24) were observed for hand selection responses to 2 unimanual tasks (simple vs complex) across positions in hemispace. Results revealed an age-related trend in the tendency to use the preferred hand in right and left hemispace. While the adult's and 3- to 4-year-old's preferred hand use decreased as they moved into left hemispace, children between the ages of 6 and 10 years tended to use their preferred hands consistently throughout both regions of hemispace. The relationship between hand preference and skilled, cost-efficient performance throughout development are discussed.