Midline crossing: Developmental trend from 3 to 10 years of age in a preferential card-reaching task

• Published in: Brain and cognition 2006-08, Vol.61 (3), p.255-261
• Main Authors: Carlier, M., Doyen, A.-L., Lamard, C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Differences; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - physiology; Child; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Children; Choice Behavior; Development; Developmental psychology; Female; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Handedness; Human Posture; Humans; Lateral Dominance; Laterality; Male; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor Performance; Reaching; Social Science Research; Space Perception; Spatial Ability; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0278-2626; 1090-2147
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2006.01.007

We assessed 110 left-handed and 322 right-handed children aged from 3 to 10 years, using Bishop’s card-reaching task. Manual body midline crossings were observed. A regular developmental trend was observed from 3 to 10 years: older children crossed the body midline more frequently when reaching for cards than did younger children. The factor age explained 4.9% of the variance. Significant differences appeared between 3–4 years old children and 8–10 years old children. The effect of the spatial position of the cards was also significant: the contralateral hand was used less often to reach cards at the most extreme positions. These findings in this task demonstrate that the development of the degree of handedness follows a long developmental trend.