Individual differences in right and left reaction time

Abstract

Experiments designed to check the absence of effects for hands and handedness in simple and two-choice reaction time found unexpected individual differences related to stimulus laterality. The majority of subjects responded faster to the stimulus on the left and a substantial minority responded faster to the stimulus on the right in any choice pair. The right index finger was slower than the left index or the middle fingers. Choices tended to be faster between fingers on different hands than on the same hand and same-hand choices were faster with the left hand than the right hand. There were no effects attributable to hand preference or sex.