Deck 12: Psychology in Action: Handedness

Question 1

In all,what percent of the population uses the left hemisphere for language?

A)50 percent
B)70 percent
C)80 percent
D)90 percent

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Regarding speech and language processing by left-handers,which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)All left-handers produce speech from the right hemisphere.
B)All left-handers produce speech from the left hemisphere.
C)About 70 percent of left-handers use the right hemisphere for language processing.
D)About 12 percent of left-handers use both sides of the brain for language processing.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A preference for using the right or left hand for most activities is referred to as

A)brain lateralization.
B)hand lateralization.
C)handedness.
D)preferential dominance.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The right hemisphere is dominant for language function in

A)no one.
B)about 95 percent of right-handers and 70 percent of left-handers.
C)about 19 percent of left-handers and three percent of right-handers.
D)all left-handed persons.

Question 5

Left­handed people,or "lefties," have often been characterized as

A)clumsy and unlucky.
B)skillful and just.
C)caring and sincere.
D)emotionally stable and friendly.

Question 6

To assess the degree to which one is right-handed or left-handed,you would most likely use the

A)Ishihara Test of Hand Preference.
B)Waterloo Handedness Questionnaire.
C)16 PF.
D)MMPI-2.

Question 7

Damon always picks up objects with his left hand,throws a ball with his left hand,and writes with his left hand. Thus,it can be concluded that

A)Damon's left hand has more strength and dexterity than his right hand.
B)Damon has more area on the left side of his brain devoted to controlling his left hand.
C)Damon has more area on the right side of his brain devoted to controlling his left hand.
D)Damon has a larger corpus callosum than if he were right-handed.

Question 8

The left hemisphere is dominant for language function in

A)no one.
B)about 95 percent of right-handers and 70 percent of left-handers.
C)about 19 percent of left-handers and three percent of right-handers.
D)all left-handed persons.

Question 9

If you are right-handed,which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)Your right hand has more strength and dexterity than your left hand.
B)You have more area on the left side of your brain devoted to controlling your right hand.
C)You have more area on the right side of your brain devoted to controlling your right hand.
D)You have a larger corpus callosum than if you were left-handed.

Question 10

A combination of preference for using hand,foot,eye,and ear is referred to as

A)sidedness.
B)neuroplasticity.
C)hemispherization.
D)preferential lateralization.

Question 11

The Latin word for "left" means

A)unlucky.
B)inferior.
C)sinister.
D)clumsy.

Question 12

What percent of Americans are strongly right-handed or strongly left-handed with the rest showing some inconsistency in hand preference?

A)60 percent
B)75 percent
C)88 percent
D)98 percent

Question 13

Lynn tends to almost always lean her head to the right when she is kissing her boyfriend Mike.When using a microscope at work,Lynn tends to use her right eye and even breathes better through her right nostril.Lynn's right preference illustrates

A)sidedness.
B)neuroplasticity.
C)acquired hemispherization.
D)preferential lateralization.

Question 14

One's dominant hemisphere is considered the side of a person's brain that

A)controls hand movement.
B)controls eye movement.
C)organizes and plans activities.
D)produces language.

Question 15

The Latin word for "right" means

A)lucky.
B)dominant.
C)dexterous.
D)skillful.

Question 16

Although handedness is a matter of degree,what percent of Americans are right-handed?

A)70 percent
B)80 percent
C)90 percent
D)98 percent

Question 17

Although handedness is a matter of degree,what percent of Americans are left-handed?

A)30 percent
B)20 percent
C)10 percent
D)two percent

Question 18

Right­handed people,or "righties," are more likely to be referred to as

A)skillful and just.
B)average and emotionally stable.
C)crafty and selfish.
D)unlucky and awkward.

Question 19

Which of the following is most likely to indicate hemispheric dominance?

A)writing with a hooked hand
B)eye movement
C)handedness
D)where the hair parts most naturally

Question 20

What is considered the single most important behavioral indicator of sideness?

A)eye preference
B)ear preference
C)leg movement
D)handedness

Question 21

Nic tends to gesture more with his right hand when he talks.Nic probably processes language

A)in his right hemisphere.
B)in his left hemisphere.
C)more inefficiently than if he gestured with his left hand.
D)in both hemispheres,since a majority of people do not have a dominant hemisphere for language processing.

Question 22

Rick does some activities better using his right hand,while he performs better on other tasks using his left hand.Rick would be described as

A)being moderately right-handed.
B)being moderately left-handed.
C)being ambidextrous.
D)having mixed handedness.

Question 23

Regarding the proportion of left-handed people,collectivist countries tend to have

A)twice as many lefties as individualist countries.
B)only slightly more lefties than individualist countries.
C)the same number of lefties as individualist countries.
D)half as many lefties as individualist countries.

Question 24

Right-handed individuals who write with a straight hand and lefties who write with a hooked hand are usually

A)more intelligent than those who do not use this hand position.
B)less intelligent than those who do not use this hand position.
C)left-brain dominant for language.
D)right-brain dominant for language.

Question 25

Regarding handedness,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Handedness is directly inherited,like eye color and skin color.
B)Handedness is influenced by a single gene on the X chromosome.
C)Learning,birth traumas,and social pressure to use the right hand can affect which hand one ends up favoring.
D)Left-handedness is more common in males than in females.

Question 26

Janine usually uses her right hand when she writes,but she may throw a ball or reach for something with either hand.According to research,people,like Janine,who show a mixed handedness are at higher risk for developing which of the following?

A)immune-related diseases
B)allergies and learning disorders
C)spatial neglect
D)facial agnosia

Question 27

Regarding handedness,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Prenatal hand preferences persist for at least ten years after birth.
B)Handedness appears to be influenced by a single gene on the Y chromosome.
C)Forcing a left-handed child to use the right hand may create speech or reading problems.
D)Two left-handed parents are more likely to have a left-handed child than two right-handed parents are.

Question 28

Which country would have the highest number of left-handers?

A)Japan
B)India
C)Canada
D)All countries have the same number of left-handers.

Question 29

Terrence,who is left-handed,was born premature with a very low birth weight.According to research,Terrence will have a higher risk of developing which of the following?

A)immune-related diseases
B)allergies and learning disorders
C)spatial neglect
D)facial agnosia

Question 30

Regarding handedness,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Studies of identical twins show that hand preferences are not directly inherited like eye color or skin color.
B)Handedness is influenced by a single gene on the X chromosome.
C)Two left-handed parents are more likely to have a left-handed child than two right-handed parents are.
D)Left-handedness is more common in females than in males.

Question 31

Handedness appears to be influenced by a single gene on the

A)15th pair of chromosomes.
B)21st pair of chromosomes.
C)X chromosome.
D)Y chromosome.

Question 32

If you gesture more with your left hand,you probably process language

A)in your right hemisphere.
B)in your left hemisphere.
C)more inefficiently than if you gestured with your right hand.
D)in both hemispheres,since you do not have a dominant hemisphere for language processing.

Question 33

Regarding handedness,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Left-handed locomotive engineers have higher accident rates with a possible cause being the locomotive controls are designed for right-handed persons.
B)Left-handed persons have a higher incidence of allergies and learning disorders.
C)Consistent left-handers are more at risk for immune-related diseases than those people with mixed handedness.
D)The shortage of very old lefties may reflect that more left-handed children were forced to become right- handed,so the lefties are masquerading as righties.

Question 34

Regarding handedness,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)A small minority of lefties owe their hand preferences to birth traumas,such as prematurity,low birth weight,and breech birth.
B)Left-handed persons have a significantly lower incidence of allergies and learning disorders than right-handed persons.
C)People with mixed handedness may be at risk for more immune-related diseases than persons who are consistently left-handed.
D)Collectivist cultures where left-handedness is viewed as especially negative have about half the proportion of left-handed persons as individualist cultures.

Question 35

Regarding the proportion of left-handed people,individualist countries tend to have

A)significantly more lefties than collectivist countries.
B)the same number of lefties as collectivist countries.
C)slightly fewer lefties than collectivist countries.
D)significantly fewer lefties than collectivist countries.

Question 36

The only sure way to check brain dominance is to perform a medical test that involves

A)deep lesioning within each hemisphere.
B)assessing one cerebral hemisphere at a time.
C)spatial ablation.
D)karotyping and DNA analysis for lateralization.

Question 37

Clear hand preferences can be determined

A)in fetal ultrasound images.
B)by age six months.
C)by age 18 months.
D)by age 36 months.

Question 38

Left-handed individuals who write with their hand below the writing line,and righties who use a hooked position in writing are usually

A)more intelligent than those who do not use this hand position.
B)less intelligent than those who do not use this hand position.
C)left-brain dominant for language.
D)right-brain dominant for language.

Question 39

From an early age,Daniel's parents noticed that Daniel could perform all tasks,including writing and sports activities,equally well with either of his hands.In fact,Daniel really does not prefer the use of one hand over the other in doing any task.Daniel would be described as

A)being moderately right-handed.
B)being moderately left-handed.
C)being ambidextrous.
D)having mixed handedness.

Question 40

Parents should not try to force a left-handed child to use his or her right hand.To do so may create

A)visual agnosia.
B)spatial neglect.
C)allergies or immune-related diseases.
D)speech or reading problems.

Question 41

If you gesture more with your left hand,you probably process language in your hemisphere.

Question 42

There are more left-handed architects,artists,and chess players than would be expected because lefties are better at

A)focusing on details.
B)visualizing three-dimensional objects.
C)sequential processing.
D)all of these skills.

Question 43

Gina was asked to throw a ball,to kick a ball,to look through a telescope,to listen to a phone,and to write her name.The examiner observed which hand,foot,eye,and ear Gina used to perform these tasks.Gina was being assessed for __________.

Question 44

Regarding handedness,which of the following is FALSE?

A)Students who are extremely gifted in math are much more likely to be left-handed or ambidextrous.
B)Left-handed persons typically experience more language loss after damage to the brain and recover more slowly than right-handed persons.
C)Left-handers are more symmetrical in eye dominance,fingerprints,and foot size than right-handers.
D)The physical size and shape of the two cerebral hemispheres are more alike in left-handed persons than in right-handed persons.

Question 45

Differences between the two sides of the body,especially differences in the abilities of the brain hemipheres are referred to as

A)ablation.
B)corticalization.
C)lateralization.
D)ambidextrous functionality.

Question 46

Clear hand preferences have been shown in fetal ultrasound images.

Question 47

The proportion of left-handers in individualist societies,such as the United States and Canada,is only about half that found in collectivist societies,such as Japan and India.

Question 48

A small minority of lefties owe their hand preference to birth traumas,such as prematurity,low birth weight,and breech birth.

Question 49

Compared to right-handed people,left-handed people,in general,

A)have more difficulty learning math and in visualizing three-dimensional objects.
B)experience more language loss and recover more slowly from brain injuries.
C)perform poorer in the sports of boxing,fencing,handball,and tennis.
D)have milder lateralization and are more symmetrical in their brain size and shape.

Question 50

Regarding handedness,which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)Left-handed persons are generally more lateralized than those who are right-handed.
B)Left-handed persons recover more quickly from brain injury than do right-handed persons.
C)Right-handed persons seem to have better than average pitch memory as compared to left-handed persons.
D)Right-handed persons tend to outperform left-handed persons on average arithmetic skills as well as higher forms of mathematics.

Question 51

Regarding handedness,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Left-handers have performed well in a variety of professional sports including boxing,fencing,handball,and tennis.
B)Those who are extremely gifted in math are much more likely to be left-handed or ambidextrous with lefties even excelling at ordinary arithmetic skills.
C)Five of the last seven United States Presidents have been lefties.
D)Individuals who are consistently right-handed seem to have better than average pitch memory as compared to left-handed persons.

Question 52

The specialization in the abilities of the brain hemispheres is known as

A)ablation.
B)corticalization.
C)lateralization.
D)ambidextrous functionality.

Question 53

The physical size and shape of the two cerebral hemispheres of right-handed persons is more alike than that of left- handed persons.

Question 54

The supposed clumsiness of left-handed people is a consequence of their

A)living in a right-handed world.
B)lack of dexterity in the left hand.
C)poor motor control.
D)lack of brain dominance.

Question 55

If you are right-handed,you have more area on the left side of your brain devoted to controlling your right hand.

Question 56

Regarding handedness,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Left-handed persons are better at visualizing three-dimensional objects than right-handed persons.
B)There are more left-handed architects,artists,and chess players than would be expected in the population.
C)The physical size and shape of the two cerebral hemispheres of right-handed persons is more alike than that of left-handed persons.
D)Individuals who are moderately left-handed or ambidextrous seem to have better than average pitch memory.

Question 57

Regarding handedness,which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)Right-handed persons are better at visualizing three-dimensional objects than left-handed persons.
B)More musicians are ambidextrous than would normally be expected.
C)Left-handed persons have more difficulty recovering from brain injury and language loss than do right-handed persons.
D)Right-handed persons have a clear advantage in the sports of boxing,tennis,handball,and fencing.

Question 58

Left-handers have an advantage in sports,such as fencing and tennis.This occurs most likely because

A)the movement of left-handers is quicker than those of right-handers.
B)left-handers can judge distances and space more accurately than right-handers.
C)the movements of left-handers are less familiar to opponents,who usually face right-handers.
D)left-handers have better visual-motor coordination skills than right-handers.

Question 59

Gordon,who is left-handed,tends to be more accident-prone than his right-handed brother.This is most likely due to Gordon

A)being more lateralized.
B)lacking dexterity in the left hand.
C)having poor motor control.
D)living in a right-handed world.

Question 60

Throughout history,a notable number of artists have been lefties.This advantage of using the left hand for drawing or painting occurs because the right hemisphere is superior in

A)focusing on details.
B)imagery and visual abilities.
C)sequential processing.
D)all of these skills.

Question 61

A friend tells you that "all left­handed people are right­brain dominant." Explain why your friend is mistaken regarding brain dominance and what brain dominance involves,and describe some behavioral clues that may indicate a person's brain dominance.

Question 62

The differences between the two sides of the body,especially differences in the abilities of the brain hemispheres are referred to as __________.

Question 63

Discuss five advantages of being left-handed or ambidextrous,including the effects of left-handed persons being less strongly lateralized.

Question 64

The best evidence to date shows that left-handedness is more common in males and is influenced by a single gene on the chromosome.

Question 65

The risk for developing more immune-related diseases is highest in individuals with handedness.