Perceptual and Motor Shills, 1975,41,85-86. @ Perceptual and Moror Skills 1975

LATERAL EYE-MOVEMENT CONSISTENCY AND ACADEMIC APTITUDE: FAILURE T O REPLICATE PAUL BAKAN Simotr Fraser Univeisily Summasy.-Scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test were compared for 52 right and 46 left Ss directionally consistent and directionally inconsistent ( n = 62) for conjugate lateral eye movements elicited by reflection in interpreting a series of 10 proverbs. The finding of lower Scholastic Aptitude Test scores for Ss inconsistent in direction of eye movement (Weiten & Etaugh, 1974) was not confirmed. Weiten and Eraugh (1974) report that Ss who are inconsistent in the direction of conjugare lateral eye movements before answering a question requiring reflection (Bakan, 1969, 1971; Day, 1964) score significantly lower on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. They consider this result compatible with the hypothesis that incomplete cerebral dominance is related to intellectual deficit. This study constitutes a replication of the Weiten and Etaugh (1974) study with several modifications, namely, a considerably larger sample, a finer definition of consistency of conjugate lateral eye movements, and a different set of questions for the determination of directional. consistency of conjugare lateral eye movements. Ss from an introductory psychology course were individually tested for direction of conjugate lateral eye movements. S was asked to interpret a series of 10 proverbs (Bakan & Strayer. 1973) read to him by E in a laterally symmetrical room. E sat opposite S and noted the lateral direction of the first eye movement made by S after the proverb was compleced by E. A right-movement ratio score was compiled for each S; it consisted of the number of right eye movements divided by the total number of responses classified as right o r left movements. Valid eve movements were recorded on 75% of the trials. T w o "consistent" groups, a right group and a left group were defined; the right group included all Ss with ratios of .90 or higher ( i n contrast to .70 in Weiten and Etaugh), and the left group included all Ss with ratios of .10 or lower. Into the "inconsistent" group were put all Ss with ratios from .40 to .60 ( i n contrast to .31 to .69 in Weiten and Etaugh).

TABLE 1 MEAN SAT SCORESFOR CONSISTENT (RIGHT- AAND LEFT-) MOVERSAND INCONSISTENT MOVERS Group Consistent movers Right movers Males Females Left movers Males Females Inconsistent movers Males Females

N

Verbal

Math

Total

86

P. BAKAN

Analysis was based on 54 right eye-movement consistent Ss, 46 left eye-movement consistent Ss and 62 inconsistent Ss selected from a group of 241 right-handed Ss. Mean Scholastic Aptitude Test scores for the various groups of Ss are shown in Table 1. It is clear that the Scholastic Aptitude Test inferiority for inconsisrent Ss was not found in this study. In fact the total Scholastic Aptitude Test score for inconsistent Ss was slightly (but not significantly) higher than for the consistent Ss. Reasons for the failure to replicare the Weiten and Eraugh (1974) study are not apparent. It is interesting to note thar the over-all level of Scholastic Aptitude Test scores is lower and the range of scores is higher in their study than in the present study, and this is true for both the consistent and the inconsistent groups. Perhaps there is an interaction between absolute level of Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and the consistency of conjugate lateral eye movements. REFERENCES BAKAN, P. Hypnotizability, laterality of eye movements and functional brain asymmetry. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1969, 28, 927-932. BAKAN, P. The eyes have it. Psychology Today, 1971, 4 (No. l l ) , 64-67, 96. BAKAN, P., & STRAYER, F. Reliability of conjugate lateral eye-movements. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1973, 36. 429-430. DAY, M. E. An eye-movement henomenon relating to attention, thought and anxiety. Perceptual and Motor s k i i s , 1964, 19, 443-446. WEITEN, W., & ETAUGH,C. Lateral eye-movemenr consistency is related to academic aptitude. Perceptual and Motor Skilh. 1974, 38, 1203-1206. Accepted June 4, 1975.

Lateral eye-movement consistency and academic aptitude: failure to replicate.

Scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test were compared for 52 right and 46 left Ss directionally consistent and directionally inconsistent (n = 62) for ...
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