Sex differences in dichaptic processing.

The failure to control for variables known to relate to cerebral asymmetries accounts, in part, for inconsistencies in research reporting sex differences in tactuospatial processing. In the present study, a dichaptic task procedure which attempted to minimize response bias was given to 20 males and 20 females at Grades 1, 6, and undergraduate while controlling for handedness, familial sinistrality, verbal ability, and visuospatial performance. Under these controlled conditions, there was a sex difference in tactuospatial functioning. Males performed more accurately than females with the left hand at all grade levels while there was no difference between right-hand performances. Older males performed more accurately over-all than older females. These results support the hypothesis that the males' right hemisphere is more specialized for spatial processing.