| dc.description.abstract | Whilst the vast majority of the worlds’ population show a right-handed preference, less is known about the development of bimanual motor behaviour. Sport specific motor behaviour and data thereof provide a natural ground for laterality and motor control research. Floorball is a stick and ball sport that resembles ice hockey but is played indoors. It is generally believed that holding the stick on the left-side of the body is the most common among European players. On the contrary, right-sided players have been observed to constitute a majority of many Asian national teams.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence environmental constraints may have on lateral motor behaviour. This was done by assessing geographical variabilities in floorball specific grip preferences between European and Asian national team floorball players.
A Big Data approach was utilized to collect lateral preferences for both field players and goalkeepers, reported on the webpage of the International Floorball Federation (https://floorball.sport). A total of 2935 players data were included in the study, representing 40 national teams from three different confederations (Europe, Asia-Oceania & America).
A significant variability in confederation specific majority grip laterality was found. More than two thirds of the European and American players showed a left-sided grip preference whereas the same amount of the Asian-Oceanian players preferred the opposite, a right-sided grip.
These are the first scientific findings to present such large geographical variations in any lateralised motor behaviour. No biological factors were believed to have caused the shift in motor behaviour. Environmental- and task specific constraints are discussed as possible variables affecting the shift in motor behaviour. | |