The symmetry and dominance conditions were founded by which researcher?

• A. Dr. Battison
• B. Dr. Stokoe
• C. Dr. Valli
• D. Dr. Lucas

Answer: (A)

The symmetry and dominance conditions describe how two-handed signs tend to organize their hand movements and roles. The symmetry condition means that when both hands are involved, their shapes, movements, and directions are often mirrored or matched, giving signs a balanced, harmonious feel. The dominance condition says that one hand usually takes the active, primary role (the dominant hand) while the other provides a supporting base or remains relatively still. This framework helps explain why many two-handed signs follow predictable patterns rather than appearing random. These concepts are attributed to Dr. Battison, who introduced these constraints to explain how two-handed signs tend to be structured in ASL. While other researchers contributed broadly to sign language analysis, these particular constraints are linked to Battison.