Abstract:
The left-cradling bias (i.e., the motor asymmetry for cradling infants on the left side) has often been associated to the right-hemispheric social-emotional specialization, and it has often been reported to be stronger in females than in males. In this study we explored the effects of sexual orientation and gender identity on this lateral bias by means of a web-based investigation in a sample of adults (485 biological females and 196 biological males) recruited through LGBTQIA+ networks and general university forums. We exploited a cradling imagery task to assess participants\' cradling-side preference, and standardized questionnaires to assess participants\' homosexuality (Klein Sexual Orientation Grid) and gender nonconformity (Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adults and Adolescents). Results confirmed the expected left-cradling bias across all sexual orientation groups except for heterosexual males. Importantly, higher homosexuality scores were associated with higher proportions of left cradling in males. These results suggest that sexual orientation can influence cradling preference in males, indicating a complex interaction between biological and psychological factors in the laterality of social-emotional processing. Finally, the left-cradling bias seems to confirm its role as a behavioral proxy of social-emotional functional lateralization in humans.
摘要:
左支架偏置(即,左侧婴儿的运动不对称)通常与右半球的社会情感专业化有关,据报道,女性比男性更强。在这项研究中,我们通过对通过LGBTQIA网络和一般大学论坛招募的成年人样本(485名生物女性和196名生物男性)进行基于网络的调查,探讨了性取向和性别认同对这种横向偏见的影响。我们利用了一个摇篮图像任务来评估参与者的摇篮偏好,和标准化问卷,以评估参与者的同性恋(克莱因性取向网格)和性别不符合性(性别认同/成人和青少年性别焦虑问卷)。结果证实,除异性恋男性外,所有性取向组都存在预期的左抱偏见。重要的是,较高的同性恋得分与较高的男性左摇篮比例相关。这些结果表明,性取向可以影响男性的摇篮偏好,表明在社会情绪处理的横向中,生物学和心理因素之间存在复杂的相互作用。最后,左摇篮偏见似乎证实了其作为人类社会情绪功能偏侧化的行为代理的作用。