Serial organization of motor skills in left- and right-handed adults

Abstract

Normal right- and left-handed men and women were examined for their ability to tap in time to a metronome with the fingers of the left and right hands, and to tap simple rhythmic patterns repeatedly. The two handedness groups showed no manual asymmetry on the metronome entraining trials, but both tapped the rhythmic patterns with greater precision with the right hand than the left. Right-handed females tapped more precisely than other groups with the left hand but not with the right. The left hemisphere appears to be relatively specialized for the serial organization of fine motor movements in both left- and right-handers.