Foot laterality during childhood: a review.
Recent reports suggest that footedness warrants consideration as a potentially useful measure of specific aspects of neuropsychological functioning. However, very few data are available concerning its developmental characteristics. This paper presents a review of studies describing the trichotomous distribution of foot laterality spanning the childhood years (ages 3- to 11). When compared to handedness characteristics in the same population, it was noted that right-side dominance (foot preference) was not as pronounced, and about twice as many exhibit no dominant limb (i.e., mixed). The predictable pattern of increasing right-sidedness with advancing age found in handedness was not obvious for foot laterality over this period of time. The mixed-footed phenomenon is addressed using the basic tenets of Annett's Right-Shift hypothesis and the unique cultural factors associated with foot behavior. Applied implications of these observations for neuropsychological assessment and motor skill instruction are discussed.
Gabbard
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Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A & M University, College Station 77843.
D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002668:Child Rearing; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D005528:Foot; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance