Children's lateralization on a finger-localization task

The effect of stimulus orientation and hand use on performance on a finger-localization task was assessed in a sample of 40 children, including 20 boys and 20 girls. Experimenters stimulated a single finger on either the left or right hand, and the participants were required to identify the stimulated finger displayed on a drawing of a hand. The model drawing was displayed in either an isomorphic or reversed orientation relative to the stimulated hand. Analysis indicated that 4-yr.-olds performed significantly better than 3-yr.-olds. Also, participants were significantly better at identifying the middle finger when the left hand was stimulated than the right hand.