School behavior and learning were examined in 68 right-, lefthanded, and ambidextral 10-12-year-old children earlier exposed to social deprivation. Socially deprived children revealed stress and high trait anxiety. "Imposed lefthandedness" is considered to be an important factor responsible for the high level of trait anxiety. In the group of socially deprived children persons with sanguinic temperament showed the lowest, and melancholies showed the highest levels of trait anxiety as compared to the control group.