Developing and validating a standardized lateral preference questionnaire

Kimmerle, Marliese PhD, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada; and Wilson, Margaret, University of Wyoming, Laramie,WY, United States

In the context of the ongoing efforts within IADMS to develop standardized assessment tools for dance, a lateral preference questionnaire was designed and is being validated.  Results of this preference assessment and validation will be presented.  If we wish to train balanced dancers, it is important that both dancers and teachers are aware of their lateral preferences in performing skills.  In a clinical context, identifying a dancer?s bias could potentially identify   risk factors for injury.  Finally, for dance science researchers, identifying and reporting participants? lateral bias is important in order to establish a normative data base, be able to compare studies or examine possible relationships between preference and structural or functional asymmetry.   Lateral preference is not uni-dimensional, instead, foot, leg and side preference are task dependent, with the extent of lateral preference varying with specific dance skills (Kimmerle, Bowes-Sewell, 2000).  Any assessment tool therefore must ask questions about a variety of skills: turns, take off and landing leg in jumps, range of motion on the gesturing leg, the supporting leg when stability is challenged, and the support leg for a range of difficult gesturing skills. 140 university students answered a two page questionnaire, asking about ballet skills for the experienced dancers, or parallel fundamental motor skills for novice dancers/non-dancers.  A smaller sample returned later for validation of their original answers by having them compare their actual performance with their preference.  This performance was filmed and their bilateral skills were compared.  The data analysis addresses the following questions: a)are dancers more or less biased in their preference than non-dancers; b) does preference agree with performance; c) is there a  predictable pattern of lateral bias than can be identified across skills or is lateral bias highly variable and individualistic?