Differences in feminine and masculine characteristics in women as a function of handedness: support for the Geschwind/Galaburda theory of brain organization.
The Geschwind/Galaburda testosterone theory successfully predicted differences in feminine sex role identification and behavior between women with anomalous dominance and standard dominance. The women with anomalous dominance (consisting of left-handed and ambidextrous as well as right-handed women with first-degree non-right-handed relatives) were compared to women with standard dominance (right-handed women with all right-handed first-degree relatives) on the Bem Test of Sex Role Identity and a tomboy scale. Across three samples, handedness classifications were related to both tomboy characteristics and sex role identification. In addition, the study showed that the anomalous dominance women had a higher masculine sex role identification as compared to the college normative sample for the Bem, while the standard dominance women had a higher feminine identification than the normative sample.
Casey
M B
MB
Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02167.
Nuttall
R L
RL
D000293:Adolescent; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D010556:Personality Tests