Reaction time and the dominant and non-dominant hands: an extension of Hick's Law

Abstract

This study examined the difference between the dominant and non-dominant hands on four reaction time (RT) tasks. It was found that RT for both the dominant and non-dominant hands correlated with IQ at virtually the same magnitude. It was also found that the difference in mean RT between the dominant and non-dominant hands on a particular task was strongly correlated with the mean RT of each respective task. These results were interpreted in light of an extension of Hick's Law. The possibility that both cerebral hemispheres are capable of negotiating the cognitive demands of reaction time tasks is also discussed.