An examination of the leftward cradling bias among typically developing adults high on autistic traits

Fleva, Eleni; Khan, Azizuddin

doi:10.1080/1357650x.2015.1046881

Cited by 23 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 49 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Studies in WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic) settings report that 65% or more mothers cradle their infants on the left side (Sieratzki & Woll, 1996). A consistent left cradling bias has also been reported from non-WEIRD settings (Fleva & Khan, 2015). For example 76% of Yanomamo (Amazonian Indian tribe) women cradled on the left (Bolton, 1978) and in a South African study, almost 90% of women in Black, Coloured and Indian samples cradled on the left (Saling & Cooke, 1978).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…The link between left cradling and emotional processing is strengthened by several studies showing reduced left bias in women experiencing emotional difficulties. In the last month of pregnancy, women who cradle on the left reported being more prepared for their motherhood and had a more positive body image compered to right cradlers (Fleva & Khan, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…However, only one of these is empirically well supported: that left cradling is related to the fact that the left visual/aural/tactile field subserves the emotionally more sensitive right brain Swain, Lorberbaum, Kose, & Strathearn, 2007). Diverse evidence consistently links left cradling to the right brain's enhanced capacity for emotional processing (Fleva & Khan, 2015;Todd & Banerjee, 2016). When mothers were asked to hold a pillow to their chest they displayed no laterality bias until they were asked to imagine the pillow to be an infant, after which a left bias emerged (Weiland & Sperber, 1970).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Atypical maternal cradling laterality in an impoverished South African population

Morgan

Hunt

Sieratzki

et al. 2018

Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Human studies consistently report a 60%-80% maternal left cradling preference. The dominant explanation points to an engagement of the emotionally more-attuned right brain. In contrast, we found equal incidences of left (31.3%), right (34.3%) and no-preference (34.3%) cradling in an impoverished South African population living under adverse conditions characterized by extreme dangers. We found striking differences on the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) between mothers with no cradling laterality preference and mothers with either a left or right preference. In several mammals a homologous left preference becomes stronger when acute threats prevail, rendering the rightwards shift we observed under dangerous conditions seemingly paradoxical. We propose this paradox can be resolved in terms of life-history strategy theory which predicts reduced parental investment in chronically dangerous environments. We interpret our high PSI score findings in no-preference cradlers as indicative of poorer, or at least ambivalent, maternal coping which many studies show is typically associated with reduced emotional sensitivity and responsiveness. We suggest that the latter may be a psychological mechanism mediating a partial withdrawal of parental investment in response to an enduringly adverse environment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating cradling laterality preferences in an adverse socioeconomic environment.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Atypical maternal cradling laterality in an impoverished South African population

Morgan

Hunt

Sieratzki

et al. 2018

Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Results indicated a strong leftward cradling bias in all groups and, the authors noted, the bias appeared even stronger in individuals who were deaf [41]. The leftward cradling tendency was the subject of an experiment by Fleva and Khan [42] who observed cradling behaviours in typically developing adults on the autism spectrum. Of interest was the observation that individuals who were found to be higher functioning (milder autistic symptomology) tended to cradle a life-size doll to the left.…”

Section: Cradling Bias Of Atypical Populationsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Individuals exhibiting significantly more characteristics of autism tended to cradle the doll to the right. The authors concluded that the data indirectly hinted at a relationship between leftward cradling bias and brain lateralization of emotional processing [42]. Pilleggi et al [43] theorized that occurrence of leftward cradling bias was facilitated by social-affective attachment processes in neurotypical mothers.…”

Section: Cradling Bias Of Atypical Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is the Significance of Leftward Cradling Bias?

Jones¹

2017

J Neonatal Biol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Maternal cradling bias is the act of human females to tend to cradle new-borns to the left side in the first few weeks of life. Many factors contributing to the occurrence of leftward cradling bias have been explored including handedness and hemispheric dominance, neural development in neonates, breast feeding influences and early communicative. Accepted best practices for developmental support for premature infants incorporate positioning and holding neonates in their protocols. Questions as to what function leftward cradling serves and what impact it has on the developmental trajectory of the infant in the first few weeks of life is the subject of much research. This paper will review the literature focusing on maternal cradling bias and explore implications on best practices for paediatric professionals.

show abstract

The Role of Ethnic Prejudice in the Modulation of Cradling Lateralization

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The left-cradling bias is the tendency to cradle an infant on the left side, regardless of the individuals’ handedness, culture or ethnicity. Many studies revealed associations between socio-emotional variables and the left-side bias, suggesting that this asymmetry might be considered as a proxy of the emotional attunement between the cradling and the cradled individuals. In this study we examined whether adult females with high levels of prejudice toward a specific ethnic group would show reduced left-cradling preferences when required to cradle an infant-like doll with ethnical features of the prejudiced group. We manipulated the ethnicity of the cradled individual by asking 336 Caucasian women to cradle a White or a Black doll and then assessed their prejudice levels toward African individuals. Significant correlations were shown only in the Black doll group indicating that the more the prejudice toward Africans, the more the cradling-side preferences shifted toward the right. Furthermore, participants exhibiting low levels—but not those exhibiting high levels—of ethnic prejudice showed a significant left-cradling bias. These findings show that ethnic prejudice toward the specific ethnic group of the cradled individual can interfere with the left preference in the cradling woman. The present study corroborates our suggestion that the left-cradling bias might be considered as a natural index of a positive socio-communicative relationship between the cradling and cradled individuals. On the contrary, the right-cradling bias might be considered as a cue of the presence of affective dysfunctions in the relationship.

show abstract

An examination of the leftward cradling bias among typically developing adults high on autistic traits

Cited by 23 publications

References 49 publications

Atypical maternal cradling laterality in an impoverished South African population

Atypical maternal cradling laterality in an impoverished South African population

What is the Significance of Leftward Cradling Bias?

The Role of Ethnic Prejudice in the Modulation of Cradling Lateralization

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About