Format:
Online-Ressource (xiv, 206 p.)
,
illus
,
26 cm
Series Statement:
American Orthopsychiatric Association. Research monographs no. 5
Content:
"Left-handedness presents many problems to the individual, to parents and teachers, and to the orthopsychiatrist. Theories to account for it have been numerous, while the practical aspects of dealing with the phenomenon--that is, its management, have undergone many radical changes from time to time. Retraining from left to right hand has been considered to be responsible for stuttering and for a variety of ill effects upon motor coordination and personality development in general, and in particular phases. Thus left-handed people have been described as temperamental, unstable, unintelligent, stubborn, pugnacious, and so on through a long list of undesirable personality attributes. What those who thus castigate left-handed people have overlooked, is that all these personality traits also occur in right-handed people and, when quantitative measurements are possible, in approximately the same proportions in both groups. In this monograph, Dr. Blau presents an extensive critical survey of the theories presented by other writers from remote to recent times. He demonstrates quite conclusively that theories of heredity and unalterable constitutional factors do not explain the complex problems presented; in fact, they only becloud the issues. Wisely, he has chosen to emphasize a major point--often overlooked--that we are really dealing with problems of laterality or, more accurately, lateral dominance. Laterality refers not only to handedness; there is lateral dominance in eyes and legs as well. Handedness is related to reading and writing, with an especially interesting problem regarding the right-left or left-right orientations. An exhaustive survey of the literature is presented in this book, with over two hundred entries in the bibliography. From this survey, and on the basis of his own observations and deductions, Dr. Blau is led to stress certain points which bring order into the chaotic thinking on the subject. This monograph brings a welcome reorientation on an age-long and ever-present problem situation. The demonstration that retraining is not fraught with serious consequences is of great importance. Dr. Blau's data show that retraining does not set off neurotic reactions; for example, stuttering. The point that sinistrality is in many cases only one symptom of an underlying personality disturbance should be an influence toward utilizing treatment techniques to deal with the total disturbance rather than with the single symptom"--Foreword. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)
Note:
Electronic reproduction; Washington, D.C; American Psychological Association; 2005; Available via the World Wide Web; Access limited by licensing agreement; s2005 dcunns
Language:
English
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