Fractionating negative and positive affectivity in handedness: Insights from the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of personality
ABSTRACT The Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (AHPQ) as modified by Briggs and Nebes (1975) Patterns of hand preference in a student population. Cortex, 11(3) 230 238. doi:10.1016/s0010 9452(75)80005 0] was administered to a sample of 177 participants alongside the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire [RST PQ; Corr, P. J. Cooper, A. (2016) The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST PQ) Development and validation. Psychological Assessment. doi:10.1037/pas000] which measures two factors of defensive negative emotion, motivation and affectivity the Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) and the Fight Flight Freeze System (FFFS) and one positive approach dimension related to reward sensitivity, persistence and reactivity the Behavioural Approach System. We sought to clarify the nature of negative, and positive, affectivity in relation to handedness. ANOVAs and multiple regression analyses converged on the following conclusions: left handers were higher on the BIS, not the FFFS, than right handers; in right handers only, strength of hand preference was positively correlated with the FFFS, not the BIS. The original assessment method proposed by Annett was also used to assess handedness, but associations with RST PQ factors were not found. These findings help us to clarify existing issues in the literature and raise new ones for future research.
Laterality