Hand selection for role‐differentiated bimanual manipulation in a beading task: An assessment of typically developing children

Abstract

Role‐differentiated bimanual manipulation (RDBM) is observed in many daily tasks. The preferred hand manipulates the object, whereas the nonpreferred hand stabilizes it. In this study, RDBM was assessed in 3‐ to 12‐year‐olds and young adults with a beading task. The number of trials where participants selected the preferred hand to grasp the thread and the number of hand switches (from thread to bead, or vice versa) in each trial (two beads/trial, six trials total) were recorded. No differences in the number of trials where the preferred hand was selected to grasp the thread emerged; however, 5‐ to 6‐ and 7‐ to 9‐year‐olds displayed fewer hand switches than all other participants. Findings are attributed to differences in beading strategies between 3‐ to 4‐, 5‐ to 9‐, and 10‐ to 12‐year‐olds that likely reflect changes in the development of handedness and control strategies. Future work with kinematic measures is recommended to discern developmental changes in bimanual control. Highlights Hand selection patterns of typically developing 3‐ to 12‐year‐olds and young adults were assessed in beading. No differences in hand selection emerged; however, differences in the number of hand switches were found in 5‐ to 6‐ and 7‐ to 9‐year‐olds. Findings are attributed to differences in beading strategies between 3‐ to 4‐, 5‐ to 9‐, and 10‐ to 12‐year‐olds that likely reflect changes in the development of handedness, and control strategies.

Bimanual coupling is associated with left frontocentral network activity in a task‐specific way

“…Contrary, however, we did not find a relationship between interhemispheric connections and coupling for RD-L. In daily life role-differentiated bimanual tasks, object stabilization by the non-dominant and manipulation by the dominant hand is the preferred pattern of division of labour (Benson & Bryden, 2019;Guiard, 1987;Rudisch et al, 2018). A potential explanation for the missing relationship in RD-L (as compared to RD-R) might be that RD-L reflects that preferred division of labour and, as such, a more skilled coordination between hands.…”

“…Antiphase coordination modes have been shown to be less stable, and phase transitions (from antiphase to inphase) occur typically at critical frequencies that may be altered, for example, with increasing cognitive load (Temprado et al, 2001). This paradigm, however, does not resemble the typical role‐differentiated tasks of our daily life (Babik & Michel, 2016; Benson & Bryden, 2019; Rudisch et al, 2018), for example, opening a bottle or pouring water in a glass; it rather represents cyclical movement tasks. For example, when opening a container with one hand and retrieving something from it with the other hand, both hands are involved in a common task but perform disparate subtasks (Rudisch et al, 2018).…”

“…For example, when opening a container with one hand and retrieving something from it with the other hand, both hands are involved in a common task but perform disparate subtasks (Rudisch et al, 2018). In many cases, role‐differentiated bimanual movements are characterized by a division of labour where one hand (typically the non‐dominant) has a stabilizing role and the other (dominant hand) manipulates (Benson & Bryden, 2019; Guiard, 1987; Kimmerle et al, 2003; Vieluf et al, 2012). Regardless of the role‐differentiated task, grip forces and kinematics of the hands need to be coordinated with respect to each other so that task‐goals can be accomplished, yet the mode of coordination is highly task dependent.…”

How Age, Cognitive Function and Gender Affect Bimanual Force Control

“…We observed a better performance for the left over the right hand when performing the constant force production task in the asymmetric condition and the reverse when performing the alternating task. Lateralization of the hands is assumed to result from asymmetric specialization due to different task demands for the dominant and non-dominant hand (Guiard, 1987;Wang and Sainburg, 2007), which is part of motor development (Rudisch et al, 2018;Scharoun Benson and Bryden, 2019). Typically, during asymmetric tasks, the non-dominant hand preferentially performs the stabilizing part of the movement (as required in our asymmetric task with left hand constant) whereas the dominant hand is used for manipulation (Guiard, 1987) (as required in our asymmetric task with right hand alternating).…”

Early, concurrent, and consistent hand preferences predict stacking in toddlerhood

“…We know from longitudinal work examining block building from toddlerhood through age 6 that stacking success continues to increase in complexity, and that the child's stacking experience, measured as time spent in activity, is linked to stacking complexity (Hanline et al., 2001). In a related construction activity involving stringing beads rather than stacking, Scharoun Benson and Bryden (2019) reported differences in strategies across age from 3 to 12 years old that may be related to handedness. Thus, there are several avenues to pursue regarding stacking strategy that could yield additional insight.…”