Understanding the Effect of Handedness on Both-Handed Task Performance: An Experimental Study based on a Haptic-Controlled, Simulation-Based Surgical Skill Training Scenario

ABSTRACT

Understanding the performance on both-handed tasks, such as endoscopic surgery, is critical to better organize and develop appropriate instructional systems to improve the necessary skills of surgeons. However, in the literature, only a limited number of studies have investigated the effect of handedness on both-handed task performance. This study aimed to provide an understanding of the participants’ performance differences while performing both-handed tasks through a haptic user interface in a simulated virtual environment specifically developed for surgical training purposes. Twenty-four surgeons attending a medical school in Turkey voluntarily participated in the study. The duration, accuracy, and collision measures were automatically recorded by software. The results revealed that the left-handed participants performed the both-handed tasks (camera: nondominant hand, tool: dominant-hand) in a significantly shorter time than the right-handed participants. This study also showed that haptic-controlled simulation-based surgical skill training systems can potentially provide measures for better understanding the individual behaviors and deliver alternative training environments specific to individual requirements.

Acknowledgments

This study is conducted for improving the scenario designs of the educational materials which are developed for endo-neurosurgery education project (ECE: Tubitak 1001, Project Number 112K287) purposes. The authors would like to thank the support of TÜBİTAK 1001 program for realizing this research. The researchers would also like to thank the ECE project team and the Hacettepe University Medical School for their valuable support throughout the research.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Damla Topalli

Damla Topalli She is a research assistant in the Department of Computer Engineering at Atilim University, Turkey, since October 2010. She is currently doing her PhD studies in the Department of Software Engineering at Atilim University. Her research interests include software engineering, data mining, and medical informatics.

Burak Gökberk Eyüboğlu

Burak Gokberk Eyuboglu He graduated from Software Engineering from Atilim University, he also got his MSc. degree in Computer Engineering from Atilim University. He worked for a software company as a software engineer for 4 years. Now, he has been working for ASTEL LTD. MMC, since March 2017.

Nergiz Ercil Cagiltay

Nergiz Ercil Cagiltay She received the degree in computer engineering and PhD degree in instructional technologies from the METU, Turkey. She also worked for the Indiana University Digital Library Program as a system analysis and programmer for 4 years. She has been with the Software Engineering Department, Atilim University, Turkey, since 2003 (www.atilim.edu.tr/~nergiz.cagiltay).