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. 2025 Aug;46(8):3593-3600.
doi: 10.1007/s10072-025-08164-0. Epub 2025 Apr 17.

A new instrument for the assessment of laterality: evidence from confirmatory analysis

Affiliations

A new instrument for the assessment of laterality: evidence from confirmatory analysis

Mirko Duradoni et al. Neurol Sci. 2025 Aug.

Abstract

Despite its importance, the assessment of laterality in scientific and clinical contexts remains inconsistent. Many studies rely on self-reports or outdated questionnaires (in terms of daily-related actions), often neglecting lateralization of the lower limbs, eyes, and ears without considering the four effectors at the same time. To address these limitations, we developed the Florence Laterality Inventory (FLI), a 16-item scale designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of hand, foot/leg, eye, and ear preference through more contemporary and relevant questions. Our study, conducted with 225 participants, confirmed a four-factor structure through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), demonstrating good reliability for the hand, eye, and ear subscales and, to a lesser extent, also for foot/leg. Correlations with established measures of laterality and handedness supported the concurrent validity of the scale. The FLI scale offers an updated multidimensional instrument to measure lateralization, addressing the shortcomings of previous questionnaires and adapting to modern contexts.

Keywords: Cognitive assessment; Cognitive organization; Ear preference; Eye; Foot; Hand; Laterality; Questionnaire.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval: Data were collected following the Italian law’s privacy requirements (Law Decree DL-101/2018) and EU regulations (2016/679). The study was carried out according to the Declaration of Helsinki and it was approved by the Departmental Research Committee of the University of Firenze (protocol number 16781/2020 del 29/01/2020). Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis

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