Evidence of a right-shift factor affecting infant hand-use preferences from 7 to 11 months of age as revealed by latent class analysis

Infant hand-use preferences for apprehending objects were assessed three times at 7, 9, and 11 months of age for 154 infants (79 males) using a reliable and valid procedure. Two classification procedures (differing in Type I classification error rates) were used to identify an infant's preference (right, left, no preference) at each age, and these data were examined using two- and three-group latent class analysis models. These analyses revealed the importance of using a handedness classification procedure with low Type I error rates and evidence of a right-shift factor similar to that expressed in child and adult handedness. Thus, infant hand-use preferences for apprehending objects are likely a developmental precursor of adult handedness. The relation of the right-shift factor to increased susceptibility to social influences during development and the evolution of human abilities also is discussed. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 40: 1–13, 2002