Hand preference and approval among Hindus and Muslims in India.

Two forms (hand-preference and hand-approval) of a 87-item handedness questionnaire were administered to eighty subjects including both Hindus and Muslims. Both male and female subjects were included in the sample. Factor analysis for both forms of the questionnaires revealed different factor structure for hand preference and hand approval patterns. These patterns were found to be similar for right- and left-handed but differed in case of weak-versus strong-handed subjects. For hand preference scores there were minimal differences between Hindus and Muslims. However, female subjects (more in the case of Hindus) showed higher preference for right hand use than their male counterparts. The analyses of hand approval scores, on the other hand, indicated that Muslims were more insistent upon using the right hand, especially activities related to eating behavior than Hindus. These results are discussed in terms of cultural influences on hand preference and hand approval.