Abstract
Foot preference was assessed in 5- to 20-year-old participants separately for mobilization and stabilization task categories through observation of performance. Results revealed different laterality profiles of pedal preference between task categories. Interindividual consistency and strong preference for the right foot in mobilization tasks contrasted to large interindividual variability and weak pedal preference in stabilization tasks. Strength of pedal preference for each task category was stable across age groups. These findings suggest that daily living experiences over years of use do not modify the footedness profile observed in childhood.
Luis Augusto Teixeira was supported through a grant provided by the Brazilian Council of Science and Technology [CNPq, grant number 303052/2010-4].
Luis Augusto Teixeira was supported through a grant provided by the Brazilian Council of Science and Technology [CNPq, grant number 303052/2010-4].
Notes
1 It must be acknowledged that the methods employed for evaluation of pedal preference between the groups were quite distinct, requiring caution in the conclusion about the potential effect of systematic practice on foot preference.
2 We used for purpose of participants inclusion tasks considered to be more consistently lateralised for manual and pedal tasks across individuals (cf. Peters, Citation1988), constituting reliable markers of global hand and foot preference.